Jermy Pedraza is a third-generation coffee producer and agronomist working in the village of El Convento, in Nariño’s Chachagüi municipality. His Finca La Joya totals four hectares of land at an average elevation of 2000 meters above sea level, and is planted primarily with Typica, Variedad Colombia, Castillo, and Pink Bourbon variety coffee. 

Processing at Finca La Joya begins with selectively harvesting only ripe coffee cherries which are then sorted via floatation. After being floated, the cherries are then manually sorted before undergoing either Washed, Honey, or Natural processing.  

This blend of Caturra, Castillo, Colombia coffee underwent Natural processing. Sorted cherries were placed into sealed bags with a starter culture taken from Yermi’s other processes and fermented in an anaerobic environment for five days. The fermented cherries were then dried on raised beds for 10 days, and finally dried in a mechanical drier for an additional two days. 

Region - Nariño

Nariño is one of Colombia’s 32 Departments. It shares a southern border with Ecuador and is home to thousands of smallholder coffee producing families. Colombia’s three ranges of Andean mountains converge in Nariño, presenting ideal altitudes and fertile soil for high grown Arabica production. 

Nariño’s particular geography and proximity to coastal and land borders have historically transformed it into a corridor for illicit trade routes, resulting in unwarranted violence against residents of remote mountain farms. Today, thanks to the particularly resilient and fearless spirit of Nariño’s farmers, the small region is a respected nucleus of coffee innovation.