Description
Los Campos
The story of Don Alexis’ farm begins with Mr. Alexis Ramirez, a lifelong farmer whose passion for the land and dedication to agriculture continue to guide him every day. Though Mr. Alexis passed away a few years back, the rest of the Ramirez-Navarro family took over the 14-hectare farm, including Mr. Alexis’ vision and values.
In 2015, the family took a bold step forward by building their own micro-mill, called ‘Los Campos’. From that moment on, they weren’t dependent on other mills anymore and they could control their own processing and therefore their quality and traceability.
Besides processing coffee themselves, direct trade was a long-lasting dream for the family. Working together with Grounds Specialty Coffee made it happen.
Milenio
The main coffee varieties on the farm are Caturra and Catuai, but we chose the honey-processed Milenio variety of Los Campos. This F1-hybrid variety is a step forward toward greater diversity and sustainability. Milenio is a crossbreed between the rust-resistant T5296 and the Ethiopian landrace Rume Sudan. The variety is part of the first wave of F1 hybrid varieties created by research institute CIRAD, regional network PROMECAFE and CATIE.
Origin trip with Grounds
In 2022, I had the privilege to join the origin trip to Costa Rica together with direct-trade exporter Grounds, in the company of my former colleagues from Giraffe Coffee Roasters. We visited several farms and cooperatives, including the Los Campos micromill and Don Alexis’ farm. Driving to the micromill in the back of a Toyota pick-up truck, we passed a classic Costa Rican ‘carreta’, a non-motorized chariot that had been used for centuries to carry coffee cherries to the micromills. At the micromill itself, we learned about their way of processing and the experiments with anaerobics they had started.
We spoke with Carlos and Monica, father and daughter, about their future within coffee. Because of the dedication of Monica, and to encourage the new generation of farmers, I have put her name as producer on the packaging, despite the whole family being involved with the farm of Don Alexis.
Thanks to the farmers in Costa Rica, including Carlos and Monica, I feel more connected with roasting as a profession.
