Alexander Portillo

 Alexander is a third generation coffee farmer and he’s proud to continue his family’s farming tradition. Alexander is driven by a passion for excellence, and his focus on producing high-quality coffee hinges on a comprehensive approach involving healthy fertile soil and specialized harvesting techniques. Despite his dedication, Alexander faces the challenge of years of low market prices. He firmly believes that fair pricing is crucial for maintaining quality, as high-quality coffee production is inherently costly. “If the producer isn’t supported with fair prices, the quality of the coffee will inevitably suffer,” he asserts. Recognizing the producer as the foundation of the coffee supply chain, Alexander is an advocate for equitable pricing to sustain quality from farm to cup. To ensure the health and productivity of his coffee plants, Alexander integrates plant management, pest and disease control with organic products, and balanced nutrition tailored to soil analysis. Community collaboration is another pillar of Alexander’s philosophy. During the rainy season, he joins forces with fellow producers to improve access roads and facilitate the transport of farm products. Coffee is not just a crop in his community — it’s a lifeline, providing permanent employment to 10 families and seasonal work to 40 more during harvest. What Alexander treasures most about being a coffee producer is the opportunity to connect with others who share his passion for specialty coffee. His preferred brew is a pour over, enjoyed black, and he savors at least four cups a day.

Alexander says that high quality coffee starts with the basics. He focuses on maintaining the health and productivity of his farm by properly executing technical aspects, such as pruning and fertilizing sufficiently and at the right time. The processing of the coffee begins with the manual picking of the coffee cherries and separating the ripest cherries from the rest. The ripe cherries are then submerged in water to remove the lower density cherries that float. The higher density and higher quality coffee cherries are removed from the water and then fermented for about 12 hours in a tank. After that, the cherries are de pulped, and then the coffee and mucilage are fermented in a tank for 36 hours. The last step is drying. This is done in solar dryers, in which the coffee is protected by the shade and exposed to the wind. The coffee is moved every hour — except at night — as it dries. Drying is carried out for about 20 days, until reaching a humidity level of about 11%.