Marco Antonio, San Francisco, Peru | Natural MMY-0209

Marco Antonio Estela Vasques, 30, is a coffee producer from San Francisco, District of Huabal, Jaén, Cajamarca, Peru. He has worked in coffee since the age of 15 and now manages two hectares at 1,540 m.a.s.l., producing approximately 60 quintals in the 2025 harvest. His plantings focus on Catuai and Geisha. Processing on the farm includes both washed and natural coffees. Cherries are pulped at his own wet mill using two fermentation tanks. Fermentation typically runs between 30 and 70 hours depending on weather conditions. Parchment is dried for an average of 10–15 days, while naturals dry for 20–30 days. Farm infrastructure includes a solar dryer and fermentation bins that allow for greater control during processing. This level of on-farm infrastructure gives Marco flexibility to adapt processing protocols to seasonal conditions and experiment with flavour development. By adjusting fermentation length and drying approach, he is able to produce differentiated profiles while maintaining consistency across small volumes. These capabilities have become increasingly important as he focuses on higher-value varieties and process-driven quality improvements. Farm management emphasises shade management, mixed fertilisation using both organic and chemical inputs, and integrated pest and disease control. Roya and coffee borer pressure are managed through fungicides and ethological traps. Over the past two years, Marco has introduced Geisha plantings to raise cup quality and price realisation, and has begun experimenting with anaerobic fermentations to develop more distinctive flavour profiles. Current challenges include climate variability, increased pest and disease pressure, limited availability of harvest labour, and rising production costs. Despite this, recent harvests have delivered strong cupping feedback and improved market prices. Farm work is carried out primarily by family members, with additional pickers hired during harvest.