Maria Nila Heredia is a first-generation coffee farmer who, together with her husband Rey and their two sons, manages the 3-hectare farm, Los Cedros, in the village of El Paraiso, Huabal, Peru. For many years, the couple travelled around Jaén and San Ignacio, growing vegetables and selling their

produce in the markets of Jaén while gradually purchasing small plots of land. In their thirties, they decided to invest their savings in a larger farm and coffee production, seeing coffee as a more promising crop and a path towards a more stable future. The farm lies at an altitude of 1,800–1,900

metres above sea level, providing excellent conditions for high-quality coffee. Alongside traditional Caturra and Bourbon, Maria Nila began experimenting with newer varieties on the recommendation of her sons. They planted their first Gesha seeds in 2021, with the first significant harvest arriving

in 2024. The coffee is processed using a careful, classic washed method. Freshly picked cherries are sorted and floated to remove lower-quality fruit before being pulped on the same day. The coffee then ferments for around 36 hours in tiled fermentation tanks before being washed twice with fresh

spring water. In recent years, the family has invested in new parabolic dryers to further improve the quality and longevity of their coffees. After washing, the coffee is pre-dried in the sun for a few hours before being transferred to raised beds inside the parabolic dryer, where it dries slowly

for around 15 days.