Armando Francisco produces coffee in Zongozotla, a small community in the Zongozotla municipality in the distant Northeastern Sierra of Puebla. His farm Alpopoca"is named for the waterfall near the farm bearing the same name. Alpopoca occupies 1 hectare, planted with Pacamara variety. Armando uses the native leguminous ice cream bean trees for both shade and nitrogen retention. He also fertilizes his plants with commercial fertilizers like NPK (sodium, phosphorus, and potassium) and foliar fertilizers. The coffee is fermented for 24 hours in cement tanks and dried on cement patios for 4-10 days depending on climate. Armando has been cultivating coffee all his life. His parents taught him all he knows and he applies the techniques he learned from them. He also grows bananas, oranges, cinnamon, and more, to sustain his family.
Over the years, Puebla has quietly become one of the most important producing regions in Mexico and surpassed Oaxaca in terms of productivity. There is so much here we’re excited about and looking forward to growing for years to come. This was our first year buying from Puebla, and the potential is palpable. We’re excited to make sure these coffees get the differentiation they deserve.
