Born in Cauca, Carlos Guamanga Villaquiran left home at 15 to search for better work opportunities. He worked on coffee farms for a short time in Palestina in Southern Huila before heading onwards. He continued traveling for several years before fate brought him back to coffee in Huila. While working as a coffee picker, he met his wife, Patricia, and began focusing on learning about high-quality coffee. Carlos studied roasting and cupping skills at SENA (National Learning Service) and has experimented with a variety of post-harvest processing techniques. Today, Carlos and Patricia cultivate 4 coffee varieties on their 4- hectare farm with environmentally-friendly practices.
Carlos and Patricia selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their farm. They let the cherry ferment lightly for 24 hours before pulping it. Once pulped, coffee is fermented in tanks for 36 hours before washing parchment in clean water. They lay parchment to sundry, raking it frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 15 days for parchment to dry.
