{"id":35554,"date":"2025-08-20T09:29:52","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T09:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cocoacircle.com\/?p=35554"},"modified":"2026-01-22T15:47:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:47:13","slug":"redefining-cocoa-farming-finca-las-delias","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/old.cocoacircle.com\/fr\/redefining-cocoa-farming-finca-las-delias\/","title":{"rendered":"What We Learned at Finca Las Delias: Lessons from a Mexican Cocoa Farmer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A special kind of magic happens when generational knowledge meets hard work. And at Finca Las Delias<\/a> lead by cocoa farmer Alma Hema, you feel it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nestled deep in the lush landscape of Comalcalco, Tabasco, at Finca Las Delias Alma is embracing her heritage as a fifth generation cocoa farmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting her farm, we got a glimpse of just how much knowledge it takes to cultivate cocoa. From grafting and diversifying cocoa varieties to hand harvesting pods and fermenting beans to perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if Alma stands for one thing? It\u2019s strong customer relationships based on consistent quality cocoa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From City Life to Cocoa Fields<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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If you\u2019d met Alma five years ago, you\u2019d have found her working as an architect. Today, she\u2019s guiding a team through a forest of cocoa trees, planting heritage, and shaping the future of sustainable farming. She\u2019s one of few young farmers choosing to return to the land when so many have left for the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What changed? A moment of clarity during the pandemic, she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working at a construction site, searching her phone to show a client an image, she stumbled across another photo. She saw a lush scene of vibrant nature and faces full of joy. It was her family at their cocoa farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy am I surrounded by concrete, stress, and contamination when I could be surrounded by fresh air and rainforest?\u00a0\u00bb she recalls asking herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, she came home \u2014 to embrace her roots.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, she admits, some of the processes were tough to master. She could hardly tell what a properly fermented cocoa bean looked like (could any of us?). But with grit and a lot of trial and error, Alma embraced the craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt makes sense to come back, take advantage of the heritage that I already have and make the most of it,\u201d she told us while cracking cocoa pods post-harvest. \u201cSo I’m trying, I’m trying. We’re still not where we wanna be, but yeah, we’re working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Magic of Criollo Almendra Blanca<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At Finca Las Delias, Alma tends to a jewel in the cocoa crown: the Criollo Almendra Blanca. This delicate, rare variety is cherished by chocolate makers for its rich flavour and high cocoa butter content, needing less processing. \u201cIt\u2019s like a white almond,\u201d Alma tells us, while exposing the pale flesh within a freshly cracked pod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But quality doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It\u2019s born from precision, patience, and passion \u2014 especially during fermentation. Alma now knows the process like a master. \u201cIt\u2019s not just cutting the beans,\u201d she says, \u201cyou have to watch the colour, the smell.\u201d That\u2019s where the character shines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing with Nature, Not Against It<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Walk with Alma, and you quickly notice: Finca Las Delias isn\u2019t a monoculture. It\u2019s a thriving, breathing ecosystem. Plantains shade the cacao trees. Banana leaves protect fermenting beans. Ground creepers hold moisture, lock nitrogen and build soil health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there\u2019s grafting \u2014 the farmer\u2019s secret sauce. By grafting new trees onto old rootstock, Alma can transform a cacao tree from a slow-growing giant (8 years until first harvest) into a productive powerhouse in just three years. It’s an age-old technique that makes a cocoa farm more resilient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honouring Heritage, Building Trust<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But this farm isn\u2019t just about growing cacao. It\u2019s about growing trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cActually, there’s a misconception that chocolate is bad for you because it gives you pimples or it gets you fat, but that’s the commercial chocolate. Actually the cacao is a superfood, super healthy,\u201d Alma tells us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we’re really used to the commercial smells and sugar, so we have to relearn how to taste things\u2026 Most of the time people are not used to the smells of cacao beans just fermented and dried.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why Alma works closely with chocolate makers. To deepen their understanding of authentic cocoa, while making sure every batch of beans delivers the quality she promises. Even when cocoa prices rise, she doesn\u2019t raise hers arbitrarily. The relationships she builds matter more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What We Took Home From Finca Las Delias<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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At The Cocoa Circle, we left Alma\u2019s farm feeling inspired, hopeful, and deeply connected to the heart of cocoa. Here\u2019s what we learned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n