8 - Rancho Viejo - Mexico 2024 (Dry)

Marco Antonio Zilli Morales is the farmer behind KOHMAR Specialty Coffee, a company dedicated to developing and processing differentiated coffee that not only delights the palate but also tells the story of effort and passion dedicated to every step of the process. The beginnings of coffee farming have been present in his life since childhood, with the example set by his father, Hugo Zilli, who has been a source of inspiration for his love for the countryside, to the extent of studying to become an agronomist and later a Master in Tropical Horticulture. Since childhood, he has been involved in the development of the ZILMOR Coffee Group farms, the family business, from which the cherry beans they process originate. After his graduation, he began to take a growing interest in the development of their farms, always with the vision of being able to process and consume the fruits of their labor.

It wasn't until late 2023 that he decided to start experimenting with coffee processing on his own and produce specialty coffee. With many doubts and uncertainties but with great motivation, he embarked on this journey into the world of coffee, offering the result of hours of hard work and dedication.

Rancho Viejo farm is located at 1500 meters above sea level in Tlaltetela, Veracruz. Their farm holds certifications from Rainforest Alliance, C.A.F.E. Practices, and 4C, which characterize them as a socially and environmentally sustainable farm. In 2020, they participated in the Exportadora de Cafés California program "Por más café," renewing plantations with varieties resistant to coffee orange rust, for varieties with high potential both in cup quality and yield. Since then, they have implemented a work plan with contour tracing, and with the "Anacafé 14" variety, they have dedicated themselves with greater care to the care of their plantation, conducting soil and foliar nutrient analyses to provide the crop with appropriate nutrition at each stage.

Optimal fertilization, along with the absence of herbicide use, together with the climate and altitude of their farm, have created ideal conditions to develop and enhance coffee bean production. At harvest time, their collaborators select beans at the optimal level of ripeness, being a second factor in obtaining an excellent cup.

They have developed their own "recipe" in the post-harvest process, taking care of every part of it, from receiving the cherry, washing, and removing the floats for extended anaerobic fermentation. Once pulped, they obtain beans with a pink hue resulting from maceration, drying them under the sun's rays to achieve their Honey process.

They are pleased to be part of Mexican coffee farming, particularly from Veracruz, demonstrating that everything is possible with dedication and effort day by day, making it possible for more and more people to enter the world of Specialty Coffees, and thus give them the added value they seek to have.