Costa Rica’s most historic and largest farm, Aquiares is a certified carbon neutral operation with protected biological corridors that ensure the well-being of animals and plants. Researchers from around the world conduct agricultural and environmental studies on their land. Projects include investigating the benefits of agroforestry on soil health and observing the diverse bird and wildlife species that thrive in an agroecological environment.
The estate itself is a town within a farm: home to almost 2,000 people with a supermarket, pharmacy, school, and church. New management in the early 1990s set the pace for Aquiares’ focus on the future of coffee through sustainability of practice and place, as well as its members. After houses built to accommodate farm workers were sold to employees at a lowered rate aided by a government fund to encourage purchase, the community took on a life of its own. Home security enabled members of grower families to make other choices beyond farm work, with today only around 15% of residents dedicated to the coffee pulse of Aquiares.
About this process: All floater beans removed. No pulp detached from beans. Sun-dried for two days (pre-dried on ceramic floor), followed by 10 days on raised African beds. To finish, coffee is transferred to a Guardiola (drum) dryer for approx. one day.
