COSTA RICA DON JOEL KENIA

Roaster's Notes

Located in the scenic West Valley region of Costa Rica, the Don Joel farm spans just 12 hectares. Despite its modest size, it yields an impressive 350 fanegas (a Costa Rican term to measure weight of coffee harvested) per harvest, boasting its very own washing mill. Allan Oviedo has been the proud owner of Don Joel for a decade now, and manages farm operations together with his son Ignacio. Among ten siblings, Allan is one of five involved in the coffee industry. One of his brothers owns the neighboring farm and supplies specialty coffee to the Don Joel wet mill for processing. Over half of the coffee grown at Don Joel is the Kenia variety showcased in this very lot. Following harvest, the coffee cherries are de-pulped and fully washed. Some coffee lots at Don Joel are mechanically dried, a shift which is becoming more common in Costa Rica coffee farming as producers adapt to climate change. Traditionally, producers have relied on sunny and dry weather during summer harvest In recent years, erratic and untimely rainfall has prompted farmers to explore alternative drying techniques. In March 2023, Ruby Team Members Katy and Ashley had the pleasure of meeting Allan at Don Joel during their trip to Costa Rica. Here’s what they had to say: “We met Allan on an unusually rainy day just outside of Grecia, Costa Rica. Getting to the Don Joel farm requires a truck, as the roads are steep and rocky, but the views are incredible. The farm is surrounded by magnificent landscape, sitting just below Volcan Poas and bordering Grecia Forest Reserve. The hills are covered in coffee trees, with many nearby farms owned by Allan’s siblings.