Sourcing Details: We are fortunate to work with an example of rare next generation producers who look to take the path less traveled in Peru. Edith and Ivan Meza are a brother and sister team and second-generation coffee producers who own and manage Finca Tasta, a 56-acre estate that has 19 acres cultivated with coffee and 22 acres of natural preserved forest. Edith is an active member of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) in Peru. Through her activism in the IWCA, the International Trade Centre (ITC) awarded Edith with the opportunity to visit Seattle during the Specialty Coffee Expo. The trip inspired a desire to begin diversifying the post-harvest processing at Finca Tasta. Edith and Ivan are also roasting their coffee for national consumption, which has helped them innovate their post-harvest strategies. Processing Details: For this natural processed coffee cherries are carefully harvested, sorted, and placed on raised beds for drying. During the drying process, shade is used to slow the duration of drying to a period of at least 17 days. During the drying period, the cherries are constantly hand sorted to remove underripe and damaged fruit, which leaves only a selection of desired cherries for export preparation. Social Impact: In addition to coffee, Edith and Ivan produce plantains, yucca, tomatoes, sugarcane, raspberries, and pumpkins. Finca Tasta has become a major source of employment for people who live in the nearby community of Challhuamayo. The farm has 6 full-time employees, and 36 additional people employed during the harvest.
