Meet our castillo washed coffee farmer, Martin Tapias
How long have you been growing coffee and what got you started?
“I started growing coffee 38 years ago. At first I worked at others people's farms because I didn't have my own. Then later on I was able to purchase Campo Alegre and started growing coffee on my own. I always believed coffee was the best option for a farmer in the region where I am from - as long as you are willing to work hard and be organized with what needs to be done at the farm.”
What is your favorite part of growing coffee?
“Coffee is very labor intensive from the start to finish. It is hard work and if you think about it, 9 months of the year you are spending money, time, labor just taking care of the trees so they are healthy and you have a good Harvest. Even though harvest time is more labor intensive it is definitely my favorite part of growing coffee, because you see the result of a year long effort.”
What is your favorite part of growing coffee?
“Starting up a coffee farm is very challenging. Coffee is a crop that takes time to be productive, usually 3 to 4 years. You have to be resilient and be willing to work hard even though you won't see the result of your efforts until later.”
What is unique about how you grow and harvest coffee?
“That's a hard question. I have a lot of respect for other coffee growers and I believe we all have a lot of things in common. I also believe every single farmer has his own style. In my case, I like to pay a lot of attention to the health of the coffee trees, making sure they are getting all the nutrients they need to be productive. I also pay a lot of attention to sorting my coffee, making sure just the best beans are part of the final product.”
What are your plans to continue improving quality?
“Keep reinvesting at the farm. I would like to keep improving the wet mill. Also I have learned how important the drying process is to the cup quality, so I want to add more drying beds. I'm also planning on planting new varietals that are known for better tasting profiles.”
