The location where coffee is cultivated is often a defining characteristic. This is certainly true for coffee grown in the region that surrounds Antigua, Guatemala. But contrary to what might be summed up with a location, there are many nuances to this lot from Finca Filadelfia located in the Antigua region. Farm management at this 600-acre estate, is a prime example of the complexity that complements terroir. For example, only half of the estate is cultivated with coffee while the remainder is a natural reserve teeming with biodiversity. And where coffee is cultivated, shade trees cover at least 50 percent of the area, which is an essential tool for growing delicate heirloom varieties and protecting the ecology of the estate. Focus on natural solutions for disease control is also an essential tool to maintain a biodiverse balance. Tree pruning, organic fertilizer, and biological pesticides are used instead of chemical alternatives. During the post-harvest stage, a great deal of care is dedicated to understanding optimum ripeness before picking. Critical aspects of processing like fermentation are impacted by important environmental variables at Finca Filadelfia, like ambient temperature and the kinds of native microorganisms that break down the mucilage surrounding the coffee beans. Both the wet-mill and dry mill equipment has been updated to ensure efficient processing that is ecologically responsible. For this particular lot, the cherries are floated to remove less dense and damaged coffee before depulping. Depulped coffee is fermented in tanks for up to 36-hour. When the coffee is washed, water is well managed and properly treated. Waste water and pulp are converted into compost and returned to the farm to amend the soil. The coffee is gently dried on patios for a period of 2 weeks to 11 percent moisture. To prepare the coffee for export, Finca Filadelfia uses its own dry-mill where dried parchment is dehulled and sorted with equipment typical in most dry mills, such as gravity beds, screens and an electronic color sorter.
