December 3

What can we say? Anyone who has been following, even for a short time will know the significance of this next coffee, not just to us, but to the roaster too. To have this scheduled on Day 3, gives some indication of whats to come. 

Back in late 2016, before The Snobby Collective was a thing, Flight Coffee put out a call, for help. A call to fulfil a dream, not just of theirs, but a dream of countless people world wide. A dream of better outcomes for coffee producers. 

This dream too the form of the El Fenix Kickstarter, the aim, to build community wet milling facilities at their farm, El Fenix. Countless coffee professionals and roasters around the world answered the call, receiving trees or 1000 tree rare lots named in their honour. 

Today we share the fruits of that project, literally, from our mates Flight Coffee along side a few words from them:

The tale of El Fénix began back in December 2016 with the help of almost 400 Kickstarter backers worldwide. The goal was the creation of a community wet mill. Now complete, this project provides the region's farmers with the possibility to have far greater control over their coffee quality, and income security through a fixed price payment system. We think that this kind of investment in accessible infrastructure is one of the steps required to make good on the promise of development through trade. 

El Fénix is nestled at 1,680 - 1,800 metres above sea level, near the town of Calarcá, in the department of Quindío, Colombia. It faces west toward the Cauca Valley and the central mountain range. The farm has ideal climate conditions for coffee production, with a high sun reflection off of the valley, and an average rainfall 2.275 mm a year. The main harvest comes in from April to July, with a fly crop from November through December. Natural springs provide water for all the farm's needs. The soil is mainly volcanic, and in some areas, Red California worms are wriggling through and aerating the soil. All weeding is done by hand, and no herbicides have ever been used on the farm, enabling microbial and fungi activity to let loose!  

The past six years have seen enormous change through a lot of hard work on the farm. It was transformed entirely, with 12,000 coffee trees planted across 6 hectares; and this mighty number of seedlings is also growing alongside a varied range of other plants. Growing diverse species of plants allows for improved shade, mineral contributions to the soil, attracting beneficial animals, provides edible foodstuffs, and creates other forms of income for the farm.   

The story of El Fenix is by no means complete, and in reality, the work has only just begun.

Importer: Raw Material

Producer: Miguel Fajardo
Farm: El Fénix
Country: Colombia
Department: Quindio
Municipality: Calarcá
Altitude: 1500-1800
Varietal: Gesha
Process: Washed

Read more about the El Fenix kick starter here, with further updates on the project from Raw Material here.