Francy Castillo

Francy and her four sisters grew up helping their parents at the coffee farm, which inspired her to major in Agronomy to provide support and management for the family business. She completed her university degree through distance learning all while working on her farm to pay for her studies. After graduating in 2019, she began working at the FNC as a Field Assistant around her hometown of Arboleda, Nariño. She also gained experience in sensory development by working at a private export lab in Buesaco. In her own words, “I became even more interested in coffee and day by day I wanted to learn more about the beautiful world of coffee”.

Francy writes:

”The process of a Natural Caturra coffee from the Uberrimo farm begins when we carefully select ripe coffee cherries at their optimal state of maturation. After this, we float the cherries in a tank and take out the overripe ones. The water is then allowed to drain and the cherries are placed in bags for approximately 7 days or when the Brix degrees reaches 10 degrees Bx. The cherries are taken to a patio where they are partially dried before we rest them on lined patios for approximately 29-35 days. At this stage, we constantly monitor the moisture levels to ensure the coffees are drying properly.”