In this episode, I am back at Diego Baraona’s farm, Los Pirineos, in El Salvador, one year after our last recording. Since then, significant developments have unfolded both on the farm and in Diego’s future plans.
Having closely collaborated with Diego for nearly four years, and previously with his father, Gilberto Baraona, I’ve witnessed Diego’s growth as a coffee producer firsthand. Taking over the farm after his father’s passing, Diego has shown considerable progress.
Last year, I organised a trip to Guatemala for the farmers we buy coffee from in Latin America – Diego, Moises, Marysabel, and Elias – introducing them to Josué Morales, a dedicated organic coffee producer. The aim was to inspire a shift towards organic cultivation, with my personal goal of exclusively buying organically grown coffee from Latin America within the next decade.
Diego was particularly moved by this experience, with plans now underway to transition Los Pirineos into a fully organic farm in the coming years.
Despite being a successful coffee farmer, Diego is planning to scale down his farm. He’ll delve into the reasons behind this decision and shed light on the challenges he currently faces as a coffee producer.
Looking ahead, Diego together with his mother, plan to open a hotel on his farm in the near future, offering coffee enthusiasts from all over the world an opportunity to visit his farm and delve deeper into the world of coffee.
In terms of processing, there have been notable shifts in Diego’s approach. While he previously experimented with various methods, he now primarily focuses on washed coffees. He will share insights into the reasons for this shift.
If you stay until the end of the episode, Diego will answer questions submitted by you through our Instagram.
To learn more about the Los Pirineos farm, read more here.
Music by my uncle Jens Wendelboe.
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