In 2025, we visited Finca La Aurora in Villamaría, Caldas, where a unique project is helping local producers earn more for their harvest. Farmers from neighbouring communities deliver freshly picked coffee cherry directly to La Aurora, receiving around 10% more per kilo than traditional parchment prices. The cherries are carefully floated, sorted, and rested before being transferred to the Jamaica processing station in Chinchiná, where they undergo extended fermentation, followed by slow drying on raised beds and finishing in mechanical dryers for consistency and quality.

Set at a lower altitude of 1300 masl, Jamaica’s warm climate is ideal for producing expressive natural, honey, and washed coffees at scale. The station now supports 30–50 farming families, offering a reliable alternative to traditional selling methods and creating stronger, more stable incomes with less labour required from producers. As trust in the project has grown, more farmers have joined each harvest, strengthening a community-driven system that rewards quality, transparency, and long-term commitment.