Pruning year: why a farm goes quiet
The season a farm produces nothing on purpose.
The cycle
Coffee is pruned hard every few years to reset the canopy. The following season the tree puts energy into wood, not fruit, and the harvest drops by half or more.
Farms plan around it, which is why a good estate can be 'sold out' for a year without having had a bad harvest.
A quiet year is not a bad year. It is the year after next being planned.
What to do about it
If a favourite lot is missing this year, ask whether it is a pruning year before assuming the farm has declined.
It is also the best time to visit: nobody is busy, and the family will walk you through the rows.
Disclosure: this article contains no affiliate links. Prices and dates checked in October 2026. Our methodology.