The Duke - 5lb bag

ASPROFECH is an association of diverse smallholder producers of specialty coffee, with 70 male and 20 female members representing 60 families. Members are rural landholders, including those of indigenous and Afrolatino descent, living in the San Luis municipality of Paez in Eastern Cauca. Member farms are located at elevations between 1500 and 2000 meters above sea level.

This lot is named for the Tierradentro National Archeological Park near San Luis Paez. Tierradentro was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 together with the San Agustin Archeological Park in Huila. Tierradentro is one of the most important sites for pre-Columbian culture, with Nasa nation and Guambiano settlements.

Thanks to San Luis’ complex topography with a mix of highlands, plateaus, moorlands, and valleys along the Paez River, farms in the vicinity of Tierradentro have microclimates suited for a variety of crops: coffee, wheat, vegetables, sugarcane, and foliage. The abundance of natural freshwater resources plays an important role for irrigation. Producers each have a modest micromill on their properties, including some with stainless steel eco-mills and plastic mobile fermentation tanks.

The area around Tierradentro has faced challenges for nearly fifty years related to the illegal coca trade and the presence of armed forces. Episodes of violence forced residents to migrate to the most rural parts of the region.