When I met Alberto Monge in front of the family owned Beneficio La Lia, the sun was shining and, as the harvest has not yet started coming in, Alberto had some time to show me around his mill. Everything was being cleaned up and freshly painted ready for the hard work which will start in November.
The mill handles mostly cherries from the family owned Fincas, but also some cherries from other producers. Happily there are still dedicated farmers prepared to take the risk of natural processing which brings out the best of the high quality cherries grown in the area. Natural and Honey processed beans are produced here. Climate change is a factor though, says Alberto. Rainfall is more erratic so sometimes drying machines have to be used. These are powered during the day by solar panels on the roof, reducing the energy requirements.
I am looking forward to coming back in January and April to follow the processing and production. Thank you Alberto for your time and information! Also for the package of medium toasted Ethiopia#47 coffee from your San Lorenzo Finca. The aroma of the ground beans is so fantastically rich and fruity that it almost seems are pity to start brewing, but the resulting taste makes it worthwhile.
This is part of an ongoing series exploring coffee fincas and their approaches to production, innovation, and sustainability in the face of changing times