Just twenty minutes from Popayán, at 1,850 meters in the hills of Timbío, sits Finca Santa Bárbara—a 14-hectare farm where Castillo, Pink Bourbon, Striped Red Bourbon, and Geisha grow beneath native shade trees. The farm is designed not only to produce exceptional coffees but also to welcome visitors to the natural beauty and traditions of Cauca. Ecological trails wind through the plantation, biodiversity thrives, and cozy cabins offer guests a quiet retreat after a day on the farm.

Life on the farm follows the rhythms of the coffee trees. Throughout the year, alleys between rows are trimmed to keep competing plants from stealing sunlight, water, and nutrients. Before fertilization, each tree is cleaned to maximize nutrient absorption. The team also practices Re-Re, an essential method of collecting ripe, overripe, and fallen cherries to control pests like the coffee berry borer and protect future crops.

Fertilization is guided by soil analyses, tree development, and weather—especially rainfall influenced by El Niño and La Niña—with a goal of four applications each year. Organic compost from coffee byproducts is added at least once annually to enrich the soil and support long-term sustainability.

Harvest runs from May through August, with a smaller mitaca harvest in November and December. Skilled pickers—about seven per hectare at peak—select only deep red, fully ripe cherries every two to three weeks. After picking, the cherries undergo Balceo, a water separation process that removes unripe or defective fruit.

Cherries travel in a refrigerated truck operated by Área 18, arriving at Banexport’s processing facility in Popayán within 24 hours. Crates remain cool and ventilated to slow microbial activity and prevent unwanted fermentation. At the facility, each lot is carefully evaluated and processed individually to highlight its specific characteristics.

Drying is a major challenge in Cauca, where humidity often exceeds 60–80% and annual rainfall can surpass 1,000 mm. Área 18 uses electric dehydrators combining heat, cold air, and dehumidification. Their intelligent control system allows coffee to dry evenly in just two days without compromising flavor. Once dried, the coffee rests in fique bags lined with GrainPro for 15 days to stabilize moisture and ensure uniform quality before export.

Área 18 was founded in 2024 by three companies with a shared vision: to unlock the full potential of the coffee cherry. Rather than treating by-products as waste, they aim to create value, sustainability, and better returns for producers and consumers. Their circular-economy approach focuses on efficient, responsible processes that minimize waste and transform the entire coffee fruit into high-quality products. By 2030, the goal is total utilization of the cherry under carbon-neutral principles.

This collaboration is more than a technical project—it’s a commitment to reimagining the coffee value chain. Through innovation and thoughtful solutions, Área 18 is paving the way for a more sustainable industry and creating lasting positive impact for coffee-growing communities.