Lo Mejor de Nariño

We hold annual competitions in Huila and Nariño during which we invite farmers to submit samples and we then spend four weeks hulling, sample roasting and tasting the coffees, culminating with a presentation and award ceremony. We started these events some years ago to find farmers growing exceptional coffees and reward them for the quality of their coffee. The premium paid to all the winners helps to pay off mortgages, build new houses and invest in farm maintenance and equipment. Lo Mejor de Nariño is a blend of all the winning lots from our latest competition in Nariño. This year we are unsure if we will be able to hold our competitions as we usually do. There are rolling road, village, and town closures in Colombia as they cope with Covid-19 outbreaks and lock downs. In Nariño, the farms are small, and they don’t typically rely on migrant labour to bring in the harvest, so we do expect coffee to be available but the challenge will be for the farmers we work with to transport their coffee down to the collection points so we are finding ways to help with this. Transfer to the dry-mill and warehouse will also be problematic. Coffee is an important crop in Huila and Nariño and we expect the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (Colombian Coffee Federation) will provide guidance and help for all the farmers, millers and exporters in Colombia during the coming crops.