In 2017, Ritual visited farmers we work with deep in the Río General river valley. While in this beautiful place, we were introduced to the Torres Valverde family, who had their own working family farm and micro-mill just outside of the main town. The farm is situated on the slopes of Cerro Buena Vista, a foothill of Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica’s tallest mountain. At the time, they were a brand new micro-mill just starting production; while showing much promise, there was still a lot of work to be done. When returning in 2018, we were amazed at the progress that Carlos Luis and his wife Lica accomplished. Furthermore, these farmers have gone above and beyond, earning 2 stars in the coveted Ecological Blue Flag Program, which rewards accomplishments in conservation, with an emphasis on the protection of natural resources, combating climate change, and the improvement of public health of the inhabitants of Costa Rica. In a country where 25% of the land is in protected national parks, this is an especially significant accomplishment- as is the quality of their coffee, processed in a semi-natural “yellow honey” style for incredibly vibrant fruit flavors.

In 2017, Ritual visited farmers we work with deep in the Río General river valley. While in this beautiful place, we were introduced to the Torres Valverde family, who had their own working family farm and micro-mill just outside of the main town. The farm is situated on the slopes of Cerro Buena Vista, a foothill of Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica’s tallest mountain. At the time, they were a brand new micro-mill just starting production; while showing much promise, there was still a lot of work to be done. When returning in 2018, we were amazed at the progress that Carlos Luis and his wife Lica accomplished. Furthermore, these farmers have gone above and beyond, earning 2 stars in the coveted Ecological Blue Flag Program, which rewards accomplishments in conservation, with an emphasis on the protection of natural resources, combating climate change, and the improvement of public health of the inhabitants of Costa Rica. In a country where 25% of the land is in protected national parks, this is an especially significant accomplishment- as is the quality of their coffee, processed in a semi-natural “yellow honey” style for incredibly vibrant fruit flavors.