Los Naranjos comes from a group of farmers in the municipality of San Agustin in the department of Huila, a place known for its agriculture and archeological park with an important tourism industry. It’s an area near the famous Macizo Colombiano (Colombian Massif) where some of the most important rivers of Colombia are born such as the Cauca and Magdalena River. This proximity to the Macizo Colombiano, a group of mountains within the Colombian andes, is a main factor for the quality and fertility of the soil in San Agustin which makes for excellent coffee production.
San Agustin, is also home to a rich history of Pre-Columbian cultures, including an archeological park which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. In 2006 a group of producers from a rural area of San Agustin known as Llanada Naranjos created the brand Los Naranjos, with the intention of showcasing their quality and increasing their market access.
Today, the number of producers who deliver coffee to Los Naranjos in San Agustin has increased substantially along with an improvement in the quality of the coffee. These are small-scale producers with farms ranging from 1 to 5 hectares, who are aware and watchful of the use of natural resources. They work with a variety of coffee types including Caturra, Tabi, Colombia, and Castillo. In recent years, many of these producers have introduced new coffee varieties such as Pink Bourbon and Gesha. Additionally, many of the producers in the area diversify their farms with other crops, such as sugar cane for panela production or avocado cultivation.
As a pivotal coffee hub, San Agustin offers easy access to information, facilitated by Caravela's dedicated PECA technician. This technician regularly visits partner farmers in San Agustin, covering various topics such as harvest estimation, farm management, disease and pest control, processing methods, drying techniques, and more.
The coffee producers of Los Naranjos begin their process with manual and selective picking of ripe cherries. The cherry picking takes place approximately every 15 days during the harvest season. Once harvested, the cherries are transported to the wet mill on the farm, where they undergo depulping. After depulping, the coffee is traditionally fermented in tiled covered tanks for a period of 30 hours. Following fermentation, the coffee is washed two to three times with clean water.
Subsequently, the coffee is moved to the drying area, which can consist of parabolic covered patios or a rooftop patio known as Casa Helda, equipped with a retractable roof. The drying process typically lasts between 10 to 15 days, depending on the climate conditions of the farm. Subsequently, the coffee grower transports the parchment coffee to the purchasing station in San Agustin, where it undergoes analysis by the Quality Analyst before being sent to Caravela's dry mill in Armenia for processing before being prepared for shipment to the port.
