Elkin Guzman is an innovative producer we have worked with since around 2013. He inherited the family farm of over 70 years, El Mirador, from his mother, Fanny Vargas. Elkin has always been interested in and drawn to applied science, and his approach to coffee is no different. This led him to Popayan, where he studied agricultural engineering at Cauca University.

He then returned to the family farm, where his work is inspired by methodical research and experimentation. After watching a video presentation by Brazilian agro-engineer Dr. Flávio Borém, Elkin decided to pursue new processing experiments. One method that resulted from this, we dubbed Natural-Hydro-Honey: The coffee is picked at peak ripeness, dried as a Natural, then rehydrated, depulped, and processed as a Honey. If it sounds weird, that’s because it is. But it worked and has resulted in some coffees as unique as their processing.

Elkin shares his knowledge with other producers in the region. He believes that the future of coffee relies on the past. For many producers, coffee is multi-generational. Farms are passed down throughout families and are dependent on the next generation. Maintaining and improving the farm's health and the quality of processing will set up future generations' success. He hopes to show fellow coffee producers their value in the production chain. They are not simply “workers” but coffee experts, and they should be encouraged to strive for quality and find new markets.

Process: Honey

Honey Coffees in Colombia have the cherries removed and then are placed on raised beds or patios for drying. Often these raised beds are covered by parabolic dryers to protect the coffee from rain. The heat produced by the parabolic dryers can act similar to a greenhouse, so proper ventilation has to be accounted for to avoid drying the coffee too quickly. Coffee is turned often to achieve uniform drying.