Elkin Guzman is a young and pioneering coffee producer in Colombia. Hailing from Pitalito, Huila, he is extremely intelligent and curious, using new technology and techniques in a constant effort to improve quality across the board—not simply in the cup, but also in terms of yield, cultivation, and efficiency in production. Elkin's attention to detail and capacity to buck convention has set him apart from other producers, and he is a leader among his community as well as a standout among Colombian growers in general.
Elkin and his mother tend to Finca El Mirador in Pitalito, where they grow a range of coffee varieties and have done extensive experimentation with processing : Elkin believes in using technology to collect and track data such as the optimum point of ripeness in the coffee cherry for harvesting. He uses a Brix meter to determine when the fruit is ready for picking, and prefers the harvest to happen at 23–25° Brix. He has decided that picking should only be done in the morning hours, as the coffee plants are not as stressed as in the afternoons and evenings. He believes that the concentrates the sugar development in the cherry in the early hours.
Elkin is one of the most promising producers we have encountered, and one of the most passionate: He aims to continue growing, learning, and improving both quality and output, and he is undoubtedly one to watch from this famous coffee-producing country.
For more information about coffee production in Colombia, visit our Colombia Origin Page.
