LIMITED | ECUADOR | Finca Soledad | Typica Mejorado | Washed

Quick Facts

About This Bean

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW201007651 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201007651 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0">Fifteen years ago, José “Pepe” </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW201007651 BCX0">Jijón’s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0"> life was </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0">very different</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0"> indeed. In 2010, he decided to settle down and reconnect with the natural beauty of his homeland, purchasing Finca Soledad—a 120-hectare farm high above the Intag Valley in northern Ecuador, near the Colombian border.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{}" class="EOP SCXW201007651 BCX0"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW201007651 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201007651 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0">In his younger years, Pepe traveled the world working as a mountaineering guide and became the first Latin American to climb all Seven Summits—the highest mountains on each continent.</span></span><span data-ccp-props='{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559738":240,"335559739":240}' class="EOP SCXW201007651 BCX0"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW201007651 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201007651 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0">Finca Soledad sits high in the Ecuadorian Andes. Now beautiful and lush, the area was previously a victim of mining operations and heavy deforestation. Pepe and the team at Finca Soledad, including his father and his son, José, have been working to restore the land to its natural state and have replanted over 25,000 trees. Pepe employs a biodynamic approach to farming at Soledad—a holistic, regenerative, and organic method of agriculture that views the farm as a living ecosystem, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0">utilizing</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0"> feedback from each part of the system to </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0">determine</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0"> what the farm needs.</span></span><span data-ccp-props='{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559738":240,"335559739":240}' class="EOP SCXW201007651 BCX0"> </span></p> </div> <div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW201007651 BCX0"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW201007651 BCX0"><span class="TextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0">Originally a much larger operation, today, Pepe has focused his coffee production on a small 4-hectare section of the farm, growing unique varieties such as Geisha, Sidra, and Typica Mejorado—a little-known variety believed to be native to Ecuador. Current research suggests </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0">it’s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW201007651 BCX0"> a cross between an heirloom Ethiopian variety and Bourbon. Pepe has long cultivated this variety, and with its exceptional quality, it has become a favorite in many world coffee competitions.</span></span><span data-ccp-props='{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559738":240,"335559739":240}' class="EOP SCXW201007651 BCX0"> </span></p> </div>