Description
Finca Juan Martin is an innovative and experimental farm owned and operated by Banexport. The goal and focus of this project are to cultivate, harvest, and process different varieties in order to develop appropriate practices for each step toward optimum coffee quality. Beyond this, Juan Martin serves as a resource and example for coffee producers that sell and export their coffees through Banexport. Located in the highest area of Sotara, just 30 mins from Cauca's capital of Popayan, Juan Martin is dedicated to developing environmentally-conscious practices as well as providing jobs to community members with educational opportunities. Various maintenance tasks are carried out at Juan Martín Farm: soil conservation is done because of the steep slope of the farm; undergrowth is allowed to grow to avoid erosion; evaluations are made on coffee crops to identify pests or diseases and eliminate them; the surface of the tree is cleaned every 75 days and coffee the space between rows is cleared with a scythe every 2 months. In general, coffees here are cultivated, harvested, and processed while adhering to the highest standards of quality, organization, and control depending on the ambient conditions as well as the specific needs required by each variety as determined by various factors including Brix level, moisture content, and desired cup characteristics.
