Coffee Story
El Nanse is the name of Rene’s farm, situated at a stunning altitude of 1,900 meters above sea level in Las Mesas, one of the most remote villages in Mataquescuintla. Due to the high altitude of their farm, the harvest often begins later, and cherry harvesting can continue into February. The cherries are collected and depulped the same day at the farm. They are then stored in sealed bags under shade for 60 hours before being rinsed thoroughly. The coffee is then dried in full sun for 20-25 days. The variety grown on the farm is Pache San Ramon, a natural mutation of the Typica variety, which allows the plant to produce smaller fruit, allowing it to be planted more densely to achieve higher yields.
About Rene Munoz
Rene and his family reside in Las Mesas, a beautiful and remote village located at an impressive altitude of 1900 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest points among our group of coffee producers. Together with his brother, Gregorio, and their brother-in-law, Irineo Ramirez, Rene cultivates a modest 3-hectare plot of land. Every visit to see these brothers' farm is a delightful experience, as they embody both profound dedication to the resistance movement and an inherent warmth that makes them incredibly approachable.
This marks the fourth year Rene has ventured into international coffee sales in parchment, and his third year in the exciting journey of processing his coffee alongside his brothers. In the past, like many growers in the community, they would load their trucks with fresh cherries at the end of each day to transport them to the local wet mill, La Concepción, for depulping and processing. However, this method was both costly and time-consuming for Rene and his family due to their remote location, which often required over an hour of travel into town, along with significant fuel expenses.
Determined to enhance their coffee production efficiency, they made the brave decision to process and dry all their coffee on-site. This shift is no small feat for producers who have not previously engaged in this process, but Rene and his brothers took it in stride. They pooled their resources to invest in a shared depulper that they can conveniently mount on their truck, allowing them to depulp the coffee immediately after collection on the farm. The coffee is then brought up to Gregorio’s house for fermentation and drying. This transition, while challenging, has led to impressive improvements in the quality of their coffee, and the trio is excited about continuing to refine their methods for even better results in the cup.
