I´m the 7th generation of coffee producers and exporters in our family. From my father's side it started in the 1830´s. Alejo C. Jimenez was the first exporter in our family since the 1840´s. From my mothers side Wilhem Kahle started the coffee tradition in the 1890´s first in Chiapas, Mexico and the Walter Kahle acquired coffee farms in Costa Rica in the 1950´s. 

Our farm is 300ha of which 220 ha are just forest conservation. This gives our farm a perfect microclimate to grow coffee and allows us to have different conditions inside the same farm to produce a wide menu of flavours. 

Maybe the Red Honey or you favour processing. We have 6 different processes:

Fully Washed which is our most traditional process where we mechanically wash the mucilage from the bean.

Yellow Honey: we wash 50% of the mucilage

Red Honey: its our full honey. Personally I think this is a nice in between our processes.

Natural: dried with the pulp

Anaerobic: We develop different recipes. We try to be very clean with this process trying not to hide the natural attributes of the coffee.

Double Fermentation: Our funky option, dark cacao plum flavours. 

I believe every mill gives their signature process to their coffees. Our coffees represent our view of respecting the terroir but at the same time giving us the opportunity to have a wide menu of flavours from the same farm. 

them. So protecting the forest was in our DNA before it was a trending topic. Second, in our plantations we are always looking for ways to have healthier ecosystems where we use the resources in an efficient way. We are planting hundreds of trees inside our plantations every year so we can have agroforestry.

Socially we give good conditions to our collaborators having good housing, access to services and access to health.

We have a really old tradition with coffee, the only way of continuing the tradition is by being environmentally and socially sustainable. 

First, we are really proud of our conservancy actions since the early 1980's when my father decided to buy bigger rainforest areas just to protect them. So protecting the forest was in our DNA before it was a trending topic. Second, in our plantations we are always looking for ways to have healthier ecosystems where we use the resources in an efficient way. We are planting hundreds of trees inside our plantations every year so we can have agroforestry. Socially we give good conditions to our collaborators having good housing, access to services and access to health. 

First we always collaborate with local social organizations. We only process our own coffee so with other farmers we have a friendly relationship where we share ideas, technology and varieties. With workers we have a close communication where they can express their needs. 

We are really proud of Alejo C. Jimenez was one of the first producers and exporters in Costa Rica, how he travelled by sailship to Europe to sell coffee in the middle of the 1800´s. We also admire Wilhem and Walter Kahle pushing through unstable and difficult times and being able to produce high quality coffee. 

We have already tested over 40 varieties. We are always looking for reserve varieties that might be more challenging to produce but have a really high quality like Geisha, SL28, Rume Sudan, Bourbon Pointu, Mocha, Java, Typicas. We are also looking to improve our traditional varieties like Caturra, Villa Sarchí, Catuaí and to develop the best hybrids that will allow our microlot program to have a higher quality. Every year we look for new varieties and hybrids. Our selection will also improve our quality year after year. 

In Costa Rica we have to be thankful with coffee, it has given us political, social and economic stability. It's not longer a main economic activity in the country but it started the foundation of our society and we are proud of that. Today coffee is still giving the opportunity to small farmers to continue with the activity by producing high quality coffee that is appreciated worldwide.