Sitio Belis sits atop a mountain range in Benguet, Philippines with an elevation of 1,400 to 1,700 masl. With natural springs that flow all year round, the community is situated in a lush area where they primarily farm sayote. They also started cultivating coffee by the end of World War II. Ibaloi farmers, who expanded their backyard coffee plantations as demand for their produce grew, processed their coffees through a combination of practices they inherited from their forefathers and learnings from farmers who trained outside the community. When Kalsada, our importer started working in Sitio Belis in 2015, farmers and their children were trained to harvest and process coffee according to new standards that would ensure consistent quality. From working with 15 farmers, this year, Kalsada now partnered with 100 producers in the area. Farmers are also given financial aid to hire pickers during the months of October to late January so they can harvest more, while those with fewer trees are given the opportunity to earn more by processing cherries in our central mill. In 2023, Sitio Belis was able to produce 7.2 tons of specialty coffee. Sito Belis grows five varieties of coffee that are processed through either washed, honey, natural, or experimental methods. This lot 1005 is a washed coffee, and it goes through wet fermentation for 36-48 hours. The coffees are washed multiple times until the mucilage is completely removed before they are placed on raised drying beds. The coffees are kept in hermetic bags and are left to rest for four to six weeks before they are hulled and hand-sorted.