Gamboa Family

Emilio and Laura Gamboa manage the day to day operations of Montes de Oro, located in Costa Rica's mountainous and lush Tarrazú region. Within this operation there is both deep legacy and innovation. Coffee farming in the Gamboa family dates all the way back to the 1800s; Tutto Gamboa, Emilio’s father, began working in coffee when he was 15 years old. In the early 2000s, the Gamboas were among the first in Tarrazú to install their own technified processing facility, or micro-mill, on the farm.

This was part of the "Micro-Mill Revolution" that would transform specialty coffee in Costa Rica, giving rise to a wave of producers who invested in their own post-harvest processing equipment to add value and traceability to the product. Stumptown was Montes de Oro's first customer in 2006, and we've cherished our relationship ever since.

Coffee harvested at Montes de Oro is processed at the wet mill on-site. Coffee cherries are first depulped and then mechanically cleaned to remove the sticky mucilage. Weather permitting, the parchment
is first dried on raised beds and then placed on patios or in rotating mechanical dryers to finish the drying process. Over the last few years, Emilio and Laura have expanded drying space to increase capacity during peak harvest.

The Gamboa family feels like a part of the Stumptown family; they rank among our longest-standing direct trade partners. No matter how busy they are when we visit, these two always find a moment to treat us to a French press of coffee from the farm, freshly roasted by Emilio. We are proud to work with Emilio and Laura and excited to continue to offer their high-quality coffee.