Amparo Maya

Farmlevel Story

Amparo Maya farms humbly in the high elevations of the Chachagüí region of Colombia. Amparo has been a star on our menu for the past five years, and we greatly enjoy cupping her coffees each year. This year's washed lot is an absolute stunner. 

Amparo falls into the vast majority of coffee farmers categorized as “small-holders.” Smallholding farmers usually own between 1-5 hectares of land, where the emphasis is on cash crops and subsistence farming.  Seventy percent of the world’s coffee farmers can be characterized as “smallholders.” Amparo Maya manages three hectares of land at her farm El Convento where she grows avocados and citrus fruits alongside her coffee. 

Her farm sits just above 2,000 meters, which is certainly high for growing coffee especially in South America, but has its advantages. The high altitude and the moderate temperatures in Chachagüí come together to create ideal growing conditions. Cherry maturation takes longer in these conditions, giving the cherries more time to develop sugars, and which appears in the crispness and sweetness of the cup. Amparo Maya won first place in the Cup of Excellence competition in 2004 and 2008. We are continuously blown away by her technique and are excited to share this year’s offering.