General Info:
Importer: COFFEEMAXGREEN
Trader: Collaborative Coffee Source
Origin: Peru
Region: Cajamarca
Province: San Ignacio
District: San Jose De Louredes
Hamlet: Diamante
Farm Name: El Morito
Altitude: 1750 masl
Variety: Yellow Caturra
Process: Washed
About the farmer:
Farm History
David belongs to a group of eleven young farmers, the eldest us 23 years old and the
youngest just seventeen. This new generation of producers is fully focused on quality. Last year Origin Coffee Lab provided financing for a micro-mill and the results were outstanding.
Coffee has been central to the Flores family’s life since the 1970s when they arrivced from Cutervo seeking new land and a better future.
The new generation of farmers in Diamante are different from the previous. They are seeking long term relationships rather than a quick sale, and they are absolutely focused on training themselves in the best techniques and processes to achieve the highest possible quality, reading voraciously and attending workshops regularly. This younger generation recognize that the harvest is a year-long endeavor and it is only as successful as each step. Pruning, fertilizing, soil management and picking must all be carefully monitored and executed at the exact right time. The Flores approach is equal parts attentiveness, respect for the environment, and a willingness to try anything in hopes of a sweeter, more articulate cup.
About origin coffee lab:
Peru has been on the CCS radar from the beginning. Since 2012, when CCS first started, we have been searching and researching, and delicious coffees were to be found. However, there were always a couple of links missing.
There hasn’t been a tradition of handling micro-lots transparently, and the cooperative trading model that is supposed to work in the farmers’ interest and for a common good, wasn’t, so it had to be worked around.
Before we add any new region or country to our offering, we need to find the right partner on the ground, one who can introduce us to dedicated individuals, families and their communities, people with whom we can collaborate and positively impact, together and for the long term. When we finally met the team at Origin Coffee Lab (OCL) based in Jaen, we realized that we could achieve our goals of finding outstanding coffee from the Cajamarca region of Northern Peru.
OCL was established last year by Alex Julca, and José Rivera, aka Pepe. Alex is the son of coffee farmers and a seasoned cupper. He has many years of experience in coffee, working for one of the largest cooperatives in the region. Pepe is the son of a coffee exporter and he grew up with a dry mill as his playground. He brings roasting experience to the team, having worked for several renowned roasteries in the US.
Most importantly, Cajamarca is Alex and Pepe’s home turf, and they are striving to help their farming peers find a market for specialty coffee abroad. CCS is lucky to have met these fine people; professionals that have the highest ambitions on behalf of their community. So do we.