Coffeebeans Costa Rica

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Located at the heart of the Tarrazú region, a few kilometers from San José, Rio Jorco is one of the oldest plantations in Costa Rica. The plantation dates from the 19th century and was bought in 1910 by its manager at the time: Jorge Zeledon. Visionary and passionate, he transforms the 20-hectare farm into a plantation of several hundred hectares. His investment greatly contributed to the reputation of the region of Tarrazú in the world.

The brothers Luis and Jim Alfaro, grandsons of Jorge Zeledon, today lead the plantation with the same concern for quality, with the sole objective of producing the best Costa Rican coffee. The entire Rio Jorco team is doing a good job of providing us with the best cup possible, but it's mainly from his manager, Ruddy Azofeifa, a great coffee professional, and Luis Fallas, the person in charge of the farm, that we owe this success.

Rio Jorco produces, processes and exports coffee from eight farms it owns, but also works with 83 small producers exclusively in the Tarrazú region. Last year, this farm produced 92 microlots.

Located at 1700m above sea level on steep slopes of volcanic origin, the plantation takes its name from the Rio Jorco River that runs through it. Thanks to its location on the west coast of the country, the winds of the Pacific Ocean improve the taste quality of coffee by promoting a slow maturation of cherries. Practicing manual and selective harvesting for many years, processing infrastructure has been improved to preserve natural resources.

After pulping, the recovery ponds have been multiplied to promote the creation and traceability of micro-lots depending on the location of the coffee trees and the time of harvest. The drying areas have also been enlarged to improve drying and better control fermentation. The treatment plant is a highly ecological unit: treatment water is recycled, pulping is used as a natural fertilizer, and fuel for mechanical units comes from the recycling of fallen trees in the forest.

The Rio Jorco team is heavily involved in the production of a high quality coffee, produced under shade, with strong human and environmental commitments. In fact, 75% of the farm is classified as protected area.