December 2022 Magic Seeds

We are super excited to introduce you to this month's Magic Seeds from Finca Virginia, in Colombia. It is a washed process, single variety Colombia lot grown by Neider Criollo Betancourt in the Huila region. 

Neider Criollo Betancourt owns the 2.5 acre Finca Virginia in Tarqui. He was born into a coffee grown family, but that came to an early end when his father passed away. Neider was just eight years old at the time. In 2012 Neider traded his motorcycle for his first piece of farmland. For the first eight years he was limited in his pursuit of quality due to lack of equipment. In 2020 he joined Asociación Los Naranjos, a cooperative Tony has personally visited and purchased from for many years. Joining the group gave Neider access to more resources and that year he produced his first specialty grade harvest.

 

Neider at his mill

 

Neider has developed a type of washed processing specific to the needs of his coffee. First, he allows his ripe cherry to rest overnight after it is picked. He then depulps and ferments for 48-72 hours; using his hand to judge the temperature of the coffee and determine when it is ready to be rinsed. This method was derived through a year of careful trial and error.