Don Delfino Quintero has been growing coffee in San Pedro Sochipam since he was 10 years old, first with his father, and then taking charge of his own plots. He named his farm “Llano Largo” since it is a large pampa where people plant coffee and corn. A subregion of Sierra Norte, La Cañada brings its own distinct profile and has a longer, colder rainy season, making processing more of a challenge. They also have very isolated communities that are harder to access, without many connective roads—but are well worth the extra distance. Like most of the coffee in these remote areas, the quality potential was unrealized for many years due to these challenges. Through our importer partners in Oaxaca, Don Delfino and the other farmers of this community have been working with agronomist and engineer Diego Zarate (a native of Sochiapam himself) to improve their harvests through an understanding of soil health and clean processing techniques, as well as beginning to develop the infrastructure necessary to maintain consistent quality year to year.
We were fortunate enough to accompany Diego to Sochiapam back in February, and have a chance to connect with Delfino and his family. We saw a truly thriving community, where the indiginous Chinanteco language still prevails and remains an integral part of life and education for the younger generation. The incredible amount of work and pride Delfino puts into his coffees was apparent, and the same spirit was seen in every farm we visited. We are proud to have had the opportunity to purchase his entire harvest this year, and share these beautiful and unique expressions of the local Pluma varietal.
