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The “Entre Sierras” coffee association came to life in 2018 in the foothills of the Perija mountains in northern Colombia’s Valle del Cesar, home of the majestic Andean Mountains. Here, in the shade of wild coffee forests, 28 farmers cultivate 385 hectares of certified organic coffee.
The plantations in this area had long been abandoned due to numerous armed conflicts when the population was forced to flee, leaving their farms behind. Returning several years later with the laudable intention of rebuilding, they reinvested into their land and relaunched coffee production.
LA SEMEUSE coffee shares the underlying vision of the 28 members forming the “Entre Sierras” coffee growers association. These lovers of traditional culture have joined together their knowledge and passion for the well-being of all. An accomplice to their democratic process, La Semeuse offers support by providing a financial contribution intended to ensure members a better quality of life.
General information
Project : Asociación de Agricultores de La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta y Serrania der Perija - Entre Sierras
Country : Colombia
Number of coffee producers : 28
Total hectares : 129
The members of the association share a unifying vision of coffee growing and make all decisions, whether commercial or financial, democratically and transparently. Their goal is to offer a better quality of life to their associates and a more peaceful future for coming generations.
LA SEMEUSE enables us to improve our drying process through better temperature and humidity regulation. This offers considerable advantages in terms of coffee quality and drying costs.”
Leidy Lozano
Member of the « Entre Sierras »
association
By buying this coffee, cultivated in accordance with organic agriculture and Fairtrade precepts, we contribute to the improvement and maintenance of their practices and know-how by financing the following:
Acquisition of coffee drying infrastructure
Acquisition of coffee drying infrastructure
Having seen the difficulties humidity poses to producers drying their coffee, we contributed to the financing of a mechanical silo to process a large portion of the coffee produced. This drying silo, dedicated to the sole use of association members, was installed within association premises in the city of Agustin Codazzi.
Training on the effective techniques of organic agriculture and its effects on coffee quality
Training on the effective techniques of organic agriculture and its effects on coffee quality
The idea is to teach small producers to use organic waste as a raw material to produce biofertilizer and enrich soil. This technique has several advantages, such as reducing production and transportation costs by replacing market-bought products with locally produced fertilizer, and minimizing the negative impact of misuse.
Training on tree-to-cup quality: harvesting process, wet and dry treatment of organic coffee.
Training on tree-to-cup quality: harvesting process, wet and dry treatment of organic coffee.
This training focuses on agricultural processes on farms, from the proper selection of ripe cherries to wet treatment processes such as removal of floating seeds, depulping, fermentation, and washing. It also covers good drying processes and compares the effects of good and bad protocols on the quality of coffee obtained.
Protection of native coffee forest
Protection of native coffee forest
Contrary to the recommendations of the Colombian Federation of Coffee Growers, the “Entre Sierras” association decided against deforestation in favour of protecting one of Latin America’s oldest forests. This biodiversity and cultivation under shade quite clearly brings to mind Ethiopian forest coffees.
Training school for young tasters
Training school for young tasters
In order to guarantee a thorough and quality training for the children of the association, a school for young tasters has been created.
Accompanied by professional local baristas, the young tasters discover, at their own pace, the richness of coffee and the art of tasting.
An active and playful training based on the production, the culture and the tasting of coffee, using adapted material.
The plantations are situated at altitudes between 1200 and 1800m, altitudes which have proven highly advantageous to the cultivation of organic coffee.
Coffee trees growing under the shade of coffee forests simply cannot be compared to their counterparts in large monoculture plantations, and it is in such rare and isolated areas that Colombia and Castillo varieties grow.
Here, in the shade of wild coffee forests, 28 farmers cultivate 385 hectares of certified organic coffee.
There are approximately 120 washing stations from which 28 producer families produce nearly 150 tons of organic coffee.
Harvest : October to December
Process : Washed
Drying : On African beds and patios for 3 to 4 days
Interview of Ever Hernández - Producer and member of the « Entre Sierras » association
Gently roasted, this washed organic coffee offers the fullness of flavours of a Grand Cru and reveals sweet aromas of chocolate and berries. A full-bodied coffee, it tantalizes with surprising flavours of caramel, nuts, and honey.
Species : Arabica
Variety : Castillo, Colombia
Altitude : 1200 - 1800 m