|
Perfect Environment
The Café Selvanica Estate is located in the northern high jungle of Peru, in the shadow of the Andes Mountains. Located only six degrees south of the equator, and at an elevation of 3,000 feet provides the perfect microclimate for growing premium coffee. The consistent rainfall and gentle slopes of the estate provide natural irrigation, thus there is no reason to take water from the local streams.
Remote Location
Once the coffee cherries are picked, the pulp is removed by utilizing hand and gas pulpers. The pulp is not deposited in the waterways, rather it is used as a natural fertilizer for the plantation. The coffee is then fermented for twelve to fourteen hours before being hand washed. During the same day the coffee is placed in the sun to begin the drying process. When the coffee reaches a moisture content of 12% the farmers load it into 123-pound sacks ready for the journey to the mill.
Farmers then rent mules and horses to transport the coffee by trail to the nearest river, which is located four hours down the hillside. From there, boats are rented to transport the sacks downriver to the port, which takes two hours. At the port, the coffee is loaded by hand into a rented truck, which takes it to the farmers' warehouse a half-hour away. Needless to say, this journey addes extreme demands upon their physical labor and costs.
|
|
