Granja Colombiana de Cultivo de Café - TvAgro por Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo

The story of Colombian coffee begins in the nursery, where thousands of carefully selected beans are planted. The beans are planted close together and covered with rich, fertile soil. About eight weeks later, the seeds germinate and the roots develop. The healthiest plants are selected and transplanted to the nursery, where they are carefully nurtured for six months. When the shoots reach a height of approximately two feet, they are transplanted to the plantation, where they are carefully cultivated. A coffee tree needs three to four years to reach its full size and flower. Six months later, the first fruit appears. The coffee tree has unique characteristics. The fruits ripen at the same time as the flowers. Each coffee tree produces one pound (455 grams) of coffee in one year. Processing When the cherries reach a deep red color, they are ready to be harvested. At this point, each cherry is picked individually. When the farmer finishes harvesting all the cherries from the tree, they are placed in sacks and then transported by donkey or mule. The cherries are then processed using the only mechanical means available to farmers: the pulping machine. This machine separates the pulp from the seeds found in the center of each cherry. The two beans found in each cherry are flat on one side and rounded on the other. The pulp, or red skin, is returned to the soil to be used as fertilizer, while the beans, still encased in a hard, parchment-like husk, are placed in enormous concrete tanks. Here they are soaked in cold mountain water for 24 hours. The soaking triggers a gentle fermentation, vital to the coffee's aroma. The beans are carefully washed in long concrete vats. There, branches, dirt, and low-quality beans are discarded. Unlike beans from other origins, Colombian coffee is "washed," which gives Colombian coffee its rich flavor and aroma. When the washing process is complete, the beans must be dried. To do this, they are collected and placed in large wicker baskets. They are then spread out on large open-air terraces, where they are turned over and over again until the sun and air dry them completely. The beans must be covered when it rains and at night. Quality Control Another aspect that makes Colombian coffee so unique is the country's high level of quality control standards. It begins on the farms, where the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia sends official inspectors to inspect each farm to verify sanitary conditions, the health of the trees, and the quality of each harvest. The inspector verifies that the beans have been properly washed. He examines the beans for proper size, color, texture, and overall quality. He begins the final examination by removing the husk to expose the bean. He then cuts the bean in half with a sharp knife. If there is not too much moisture in the bean, the halves will not fly apart. If the bean is too dry, the halves will separate too quickly, but if the drying process was correct, the inspector will authorize the farmer to take his harvest to market. The beans are placed in burlap sacks and loaded onto jeeps. In some regions, mules are still an important means of transport for transporting the beans from the farms to the market. At the market, the farmer's harvest is again examined by the buyer. His assistant randomly pierces the sacks, taking small samples of coffee to insert into a small machine that removes the husks from the beans. The buyer inspects them for aroma, color, size, moisture, and texture. Only the best harvests are sold and distributed for export. The beans are then taken to the mill, where they are placed in machines that remove the parchment-like, silvery husk that surrounds each bean. The beans undergo several processes, in which they are separated from all impurities and selected by size, shape, and weight. Twitter @juangangel Source Juan Gonzalo Angel Restrepo www.tvagro.tv

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