Mexico Rafael Solis Gálves

Rafael Solis Gálves produces coffee at his farm, El Cielito, in the township of Las Brisas in Ángel Albino Corzo, Chiapas. The farm sits at 1,600 masl under native shade trees within the Reserva de la Biósfera Triunfo Verde.

Rafael is a member of Finca Triunfo Verde, an organic certified association of smallholder coffee producers, who live in harmony with nature. This natural reserve is in the state of Chiapas, and is divided into a buffer zone and a nucleus. The nucleus is a protected ecosystem that allows only for endemic flora and fauna. Agricultural practices are permitted in the buffer zone as long as they have a symbiotic relationship with the environment.

This single farm microlot has been a standout. Rafael is known for his farm-level best practices; only the harvesting the ripest Typica and Yellow Bourbon cherries at the peak of the season. The coffee is fermented in the cherry for 8 hours, de-pulped, and then introduced into tanks where it ferments for an additional 18 hours. The coffee is then moved by water through canals, washed, and then laid out on drying patios for 7-8 days when drying conditions are favorable.