One of our favourite times of the year is when our lots from Ecuador arrive. It’s an origin often overshadowed by its neighbours Colombia and Peru and is better known for its cacao and flower production than coffee. However, they are producing some incredibly exotic and highly sought after coffees, due in part to the high altitudes and the range of traditional and improved varieties found here. The best quality coffees from here command really high prices due to the high labour costs involved, low yields and high cost of production.
Yambamine is owned by Diana Velez, and it is the literal sister farm of Chorora owned by Olinka Velez, from whom we bought an equally amazing lot last year. The two farms are situated next to each other on a steep hillside surrounded by primary cloud forest and crossed by the old ‘Inca Road’ that once connected Cuzco with Quito. The land has stunning views towards the valley of Macara and Peru on the horizon.
The sisters describe their venture in coffee as a transformative way of life. After some big life changes, they both started planting coffee around the year 2010 and ever since have been drawn from the city to the land, investing a lot of time, effort, and emotion into producing coffee. The land, as Diana and Olinka would describe it, is mystical and charged with good energy. The farm is divided into two main parcels. Chorora which means ‘water well’ in Kichwa and Yambamine, which means ‘land of gold. Across both parcels there are a total of eight hectares which are planted with Typica Mejorado, Catuai, and Sidra, and they are currently experimenting with new varieties such as Wush Wush and Morita.