La Esmeralda

Alberto Calderón's 10-hectare farm, La Esmeralda, is located in the village of La Estrella, near the municipality of Acevedo in the department of Huila. The estate, spanning 1440 metres above sea level, is home to around 40,000 Caturron and Castillo arabica trees. Alberto is the second generation of his family to choose coffee growing as a profession. He and his wife live on the farm, their children are grown up, but they still help their parents during the harvest, who are now happy grandparents. The harvest spans from September to November. After floating (wet sorting), the ripe cherries are placed in airtight plastic bags where they ferment for 24 hours, followed by de-pulping and further wet fermentation in tanks for 48 hours, and finally drying in solar dryers (shaded foil tents).