Ricardo Vargas

Ricardo Vargas is a familiar name to us, even if it may not be to you! During our first visit to Ecuador we tasted various samples from their farm, and were unfortunately unable to purchase any of Ricardo’s coffee that year. When making our Ecuador selections in partnership with Caravela, we have cupped Ricardo’s coffees for many years, and this is the season we’ve been able to secure a lot to roast and share with our customers. 

The Farm

Ricardo’s farm spans 15 hectares, with 7 dedicated to coffee cultivation. Primarily he is growing Typica Mejorado and Caturra, with plans to diversify by planting Bourbon Sidra. Coffee is grown under shade trees, which represent just one of the re-investments they are making into the family farm. Ricardo learnt a lot about coffee production from his father in law, who had a coffee farm for many years, learning techniques from agronomical approaches to harvesting and post-harvest protocols. This inspired Ricardo and his wife to purchase and establish their own coffee farm in 2014, with a desire to produce quality coffee as well as create job opportunities in the local area. It is named after Ricardo’s late father-in-law, Don Vallejito. They have been meticulous in their methods from early on, paying close attention to the cherry selection, fermentation approach and drying protocols. Relying on measurements during the process, such as brix levels, temperature and humidity readings arms them with more information to ensure consistency and control. Taking their time to dry the lots slowly, for up to 4 weeks, ensures that all the quality potential remains in the seeds, giving us a much more uniform, consistent and stable product to work with here in the roastery.