Cundinamarca, Colombia. As far as coffee growing regions are concerned, the region of Cundinamarca has been under-represented for some time. It rarely shows up within the list of coffee growing regions in Colombia, referred to as the axis region. We often gravitate towards Cundinamarca and the work done there by Equation Coffee, finding diverse cup profiles across the many producers we work with in the region. This micro-lot grown by Antonio Nino was processed and picked through the Neighbors and Crops program. With some small-holder producers like Antonio Nino, the program is helpful in providing agronomical support and picking services. Antonio’s farm, El Placir, is four hectares in total, with 12,000 castillo trees. Producers within the program often operate in a hybrid model, selling coffee to the local market while also selling cherry to La Palma Y El Tucan, which provides diversity cash flow, as well as an avenue to receive premiums well above the commodity market prices they recieve at collection stations. LACTIC PROCESSING Time, temperature, pH, and Brix all play into this unique processing method. A common misconception is that this method is processed using the addition of lactobacillus, a yeast strain, or by the addition of Lactic acid. The real process is a nuanced limited oxygen pre-fermentation in a sealed tank, allowing the bacteria and yeast to consume the mucilage within the cherry, producing lactic acid and therefore changing the final cup profile. After the fermentation, this coffee is depulped and dried on raised parabolic beds where dry heat is pumped in to aid the drying process during the cold and humid nights.