Costa Rica - Las Brumas

Farm: Finca Las Brumas

Type : 100% Caturra

(Treatment: (honey)

Altitude: 1545 meters above sea level

Owner: Greivin Méndez

City: Cañuela

Area: Naranjo, West Valley

Country : Costa Rica

Total farm size : 3 hectares

Las Brumas Ranch is located in Cañuela de Naranjo, Costa Rica, in the western valley. The ranch has been owned by the Greivin Mendez family since 1967, passed down through generations. Upon the father's death in 2017, he bequeathed the ranch to his son, Greivin. One of seven children, Greivin, despite being only 35, is a young man whose siblings work in other sectors. He carries on the family tradition of working on the ranch.

The name Las Brumas, meaning "fog," comes from the fact that the farm's location is cloudy for most of the year, regardless of the season. The father observed the clouds and how they formed, hence the name. One of the biggest challenges facing Grivin is the declining crop yield. With a small plot (3 hectares), his future goal is to increase both the yield and the quality of the crop. Fortunately, he has the support of Coopronaranjo, one of the most important coffee organizations in Costa Rica, and with the support he will soon be able to achieve his aspirations.

Coopronaranjo was founded in 1968 by 98 coffee-growing families. The organization has become the driving force of the economy in the Naranjo region. Approximately 95% of its members are smallholder farmers, with plots of land less than 10 hectares. The organization recently launched a new program to encourage farmers to cultivate higher-quality varieties for a better cup of coffee. Farmers plant their land according to variety, which facilitates harvesting, allowing each variety to be harvested on the same day or on consecutive days.

The organization also sorts the highest quality crops according to the farm or processing method. This year, as in previous years, the Las Brumas farm has qualified as a high-quality specialty coffee farm. All the coffee is hand-picked and then transported to the organization's factory (approximately 11 kilometers away), where it undergoes hulling and sorting according to weight and size. For this honey-processed coffee, the beans are placed on drying beds with their outer membrane intact. They are dried for 12-15 days, depending on the weather, and are turned regularly. Assisting farmers in selling such crops in the specialty coffee market makes the organization proud to help inspire young people to return to coffee farming.

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