Isaura Martinez has owned the plantation since she was 25. She started by cultivating coffee on four hectares of land. Over the years, she and her husband acquired another five farms, resulting in 60 hectares of land completely devoted to specialty coffee production. But it hasn’t always been easy. In 2007, Isaura’s estate was severely affected by rust and had to be gradually replanted. This took three years to accomplish.
Ripe cherries are handpicked during harvest and put into buckets of water. The ones that float on the surface of the water are removed as they are not ready for further processing. Those that rest at the bottom are ready for the next steps. Drying can take 10-14 days in sunny weather, but if it’s not warm, it can take even a month.
