Unlike coffee, which has a defined season, macadamia is harvested all year long. It is a continuous and patient harvest that calls for constant presence in the crop. On the foothills of the Santiaguito volcano, where the farm sits between 1,271 and 1,432 metres above sea level, humidity and temperature conditions allow the tree to ripen its nuts in a staggered way, with no single peak of production. This calls for permanent team organisation in the field, but it ensures that the nut reaches the mill at its best moment throughout every month of the year.

Crop in white bloom under a blue sky at Culpan

Hand-picked from the ground

The macadamia nut is harvested when it is ripe and falls naturally from the tree. At Culpan we gather it by hand, one by one, straight from the ground. The tree is not shaken and no mechanical equipment is used: harvesting is done with patience and respect for the natural rhythm of the crop, walking the plantation regularly so the nut does not stay too long on the ground, where it could lose quality from humidity or insect attack.

Collecting the fallen nut is the best guarantee that it is harvested at its right point of ripeness. It is careful work, done by skilled hands that know the crop and respect the tree's natural rhythm, without forcing or rushing the fall. On each round, damaged nuts or those showing pest signs are discarded, and the healthy ones are collected in sacks that are quickly taken to the milling area. That short chain between tree and processing is key to preserving the kernel's flavour and texture.

A continuous harvest, all year long

Because the trees ripen their nuts in a staggered way, the macadamia harvest stretches across the whole year. There is no single season: there is the constant work of walking the plantation and gathering what falls. The team is organised to visit each area of the crop often enough to avoid accumulations on the ground, especially during the rainy season, when humidity can speed up nut deterioration.

That continuity demands organisation and dedication, but it also has an advantage: the nut is collected fresh and at its best throughout the cycle. Gathered without haste, it reaches the mill in optimal condition to reveal all its quality. The permanent harvest also generates stable work for the people who care for the farm, in contrast to the marked seasonality of coffee, and reinforces human presence in the crop, which remains the best monitoring system for pests, pending pruning and the overall health of the tree.

In Numbers

The harvest in figures

Year-round

Duration of the harvest

By hand

Picked from the ground

Learn about milling the nut

After the harvest, the nut goes through the mill. Discover how we process it.