The state of Huila is located in the south of Colombia, and the specfic producing area is in the far southern part of Huila, about a 45 minute drive south east from the town of Pitalito, in a very small muncipality called Palestina. Southern Huila is where the Macizo Colombiano formed by the Andes mountains, splits into three separate ranges (cordilleras) which run through the country from south to north reaching the caribbean cost. The Macizo is the birth of some of the country´s largest rivers, including the Magdalena, and the Guarapas. Density is low with most farms not having more than 4.000 trees per hectare. The altitude of the farms ranges from 1600 meters to 1900 meters above sea level. Varieties grown are mostly Caturra and Colombia variety, and all the farms have extensive shade from local trees like walnut and guayacan. Lying on the slope of the great Macizo and given the high altitude and somewhat cold and rainy microclimate, the coffee trees have particular traits: there are, instead of a couple big ones, several small flowerings which means coffee is harvested 10 months of the year. The time from flowering to picking is 34 to 35 weeks, a couple weeks longer than standard as fresh climate needs longer for cherries to mature. Coffee is pulped and washed at each farm, pre-dried, and then the parchment is brought by the producers to the central drying station in town, where it is dried in patios for 2 to 4 days depending on weather.