{"product_id":"bibiana-mena-narino-micro-lot","title":"Bibiana Mena Narino Micro Lot","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFarm:\u003c\/strong\u003e Finca La Cumbre\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOwner:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Lopez Mena Family\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation:\u003c\/strong\u003e El Tambo, Nariño, Colombia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAltitude:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1750-2100masl\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVarietal:\u003c\/strong\u003e Caturra, Colombia \u0026amp; Castillo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcess:\u003c\/strong\u003e Washed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoast:\u003c\/strong\u003e Omni\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNotes of:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grapefruit, black tea and honey\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe sourced this coffee through Mercanta Coffee Hunters who had the following to share:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"tabs__paragraph\"\u003eNestled in the steep mountains of El Tambo, Nariño, Finca La Cumbre is a family-owned specialty coffee farm managed by Bibiana Mena, Diego López and their daughter, Isabela López Mena. The family has cultivated coffee on these Andean slopes for many\u003cbr\u003eyears, combining traditional knowledge with continuous innovation to produce fully traceable, high-quality coffees.\u003cbr\u003eThe farm spans 50 hectares, with 28 hectares dedicated to coffee production across five distinct micro-lots: Montesillo, Loma Verde, Cidral, Casa Vieja and La Cumbre. Situated between 1,750 and 2,100 metres above sea level, each lot benefits from its own combination of altitude, aspect and microclimate, contributing to the exceptional quality associated with Nariño.\u003cbr\u003eThe steep terrain makes mechanisation impossible, so all coffee is selectively handpicked. To improve efficiency and protect cherry quality, the family has installed an aerial cable car system (góndola or tarabita) that transports freshly harvested cherries and farm supplies between the hillside plots and the on-farm processing station.\u003cbr\u003eThe farm cultivates Caturra, Típica, Colombia, Cenicafé 1 and Castillo Tambo. While\u003cbr\u003eCastillo Tambo is the predominant regional variety due to its resistance to coffee leaf rust, maintaining a diverse range of varieties helps preserve resilience and cup complexity. To address increasing climate variability, the family combines resistant varieties with integrated crop management, biological pest control and careful monitoring of tree health.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"tabs__paragraph\"\u003eAbout Processing\u003cbr\u003eCoffee is selectively hand-picked through multiple harvest passes, ensuring that only fully ripe cherries are collected. Cherries are transported to the on-farm wet mill via the cable car system before undergoing flotation sorting, where under-ripe, damaged and low density cherries are removed. The selected cherries are pulped using a mechanical disc pulper before fermenting in covered concrete tanks for approximately 12 hours. Fermentation is monitored using the traditional tactile method, after which the parchment is washed with clean mountain water through three wash cycles and given a final eight-hour soak before drying.\u003cbr\u003eDrying is adapted to weather conditions using a combination of sun-drying patios,\u003cbr\u003eparabolic solar dryers and multi-level African-style raised beds. Throughout drying,\u003cbr\u003eparchment is turned regularly and carefully inspected to ensure even moisture reduction and consistent quality before storage and export.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"tabs__paragraph\"\u003eStewardship and Community\u003cbr\u003eEnvironmental stewardship is central to the family's farming philosophy. Around 15–20% of the farm is permanently protected as conservation land, preserving native forest, riparian buffer zones and wildlife habitats while safeguarding local water sources.\u003cbr\u003eSoil fertility is maintained through on-farm vermicompost and composted coffee pulp,\u003cbr\u003esupplemented where required by carefully calibrated mineral fertilisers. Weed control is\u003cbr\u003ecarried out entirely by hand, while coffee berry borer is managed through biological\u003cbr\u003econtrol using Beauveria bassiana, alongside rigorous field sanitation and selective\u003cbr\u003eharvesting practices.\u003cbr\u003eThe family continually renovates the farm by renewing 10–15% of coffee trees each year using traditional zoca pruning. Replacement seedlings are raised in the farm nursery from carefully selected mother trees, ensuring continued adaptation to the local environment.\u003cbr\u003eFinca La Cumbre also places strong emphasis on worker welfare. Employees are recruited locally from the El Tambo community, receive wages above Colombia's agricultural minimum, and are provided with meals, appropriate equipment and clear safety procedures suited to the farm's steep terrain. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"tabs__paragraph\"\u003eLooking ahead, the family plans to expand its drying infrastructure, introduce solar\u003cbr\u003eenergy for wet mill operations, increase compost production and further develop\u003cbr\u003eagroforestry systems with additional native tree species, strengthening the long-term\u003cbr\u003esustainability of the farm.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Corban Coffee","offers":[{"title":"250g whole beans","offer_id":59961387123072,"sku":null,"price":11.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"1kg whole beans (delivered as 4 x 250g)","offer_id":59961387155840,"sku":null,"price":36.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0604\/3087\/6902\/files\/DSC08102_c79f4f81-20eb-493b-9783-7d53e67c78f8.jpg?v=1790247887","url":"https:\/\/www.corbancoffee.co.uk\/products\/bibiana-mena-narino-micro-lot","provider":"Corban Coffee","version":"1.0","type":"link"}