Fredi Pineda, Honduras | Washed

Fredy Rolando Pineda, who has been involved in coffee production all his life, inherited his 2-hectare farm, 'Finca Fredy,' from his father. He is a member of the Aruco Cooperative and one of the 33 producers participating in their micro-lot program. Fredy has been working on producing specialty micro-lots since 2016 and receives advice from Arucos technicians on farm management and soil fertility to help produce high-quality cherries and prevent pests and diseases.

On the 2-hectare farm, he works the land with his wife and receives additional help during the harvest to collect the coffee cherries before delivering them to Aruco for processing.

All processing for the micro-lots takes place at the Aruco mill to centralize and maintain greater control over the process, ensuring consistent procedures and reducing risks for the producer. The mill is situated at 800 meters above sea level, providing a drier, more stable climate for drying the coffee compared to the farms, where weather conditions can be less predictable.

The coffee is delivered to the mill, where the cherries are assessed (measuring Brix) and the processing method is determined based on available space and the producer's pre-processing work. The cherries are cleaned, washed, and floated to remove any immature ones.

The coffee is then placed on drying beds where it is dried for 20 to 30 days, depending on the weather, with regular turning every hour.