As our cacao production continues to grow, we’re investing in the infrastructure needed to process larger volumes efficiently while maintaining the quality standards our customers expect.
One of the most important recent additions to Finca Chocolat has been our new fermentation facility. When fully built out, the facility will be capable of housing 36 fermentation boxes, each with a capacity of nearly 2,000 pounds of wet cacao. This will provide us with significant processing capacity as production from both our own farm and our partner farmer network continues to increase.
For the 2026 season, we constructed the first nine boxes. Rather than immediately building all 36, we chose to start with a smaller number so we could test the design during a full harvest season and make any necessary adjustments before expanding further.
The boxes are currently positioned on the floor, but they were designed with a future three-tier system in mind. Once installed, this elevated arrangement will make the fermentation process considerably more efficient by reducing the labor required to transfer cacao from one box to the next during the turning process.
Each box is fitted with a lid to help maintain the temperatures required for proper fermentation, a critical step in developing the flavor profile of fine cacao. The front panels are also hinged, allowing fermented cacao to be moved more easily between boxes once the tiered system is in place.
** – As an update: We’re pleased to report that after a full season of use, the design has performed exactly as intended. The boxes have proven durable, efficient, and easy to work with, giving us confidence as we plan the next phase of expansion.
It’s always satisfying when a project works as planned, and we’re looking forward to the day when production volumes require us to fill the remaining spaces in the facility with additional fermentation boxes.
Growth at Finca Chocolat continues to be driven by a simple philosophy: build the right systems, test them carefully, and scale thoughtfully as production increases. These new fermentation boxes are another important step in that journey.