People
In the southernmost part of Colombia, you can find two different farms: El Crucero and La Estancia. They lie in the remote region of Nariño, an area far far away from Cartagena, where our Colombian lots are loaded on to the ships. These were the only lots coming from Nariño‘s main harvest back in the day of our first Nariño establishment. Two different coffees from separate farms, but one unique soul. Two coffee profiles fit so well together that we decided to write a shared profile for both of them.
Mery Garcia runs El Crucero and Benjamín Dennis Ceron Botina runs La Estancia. The life of these farmers is very humble and solely dedicated to the work in the fields. Their whole life is devoted to the land and to the farm, as they both live on their fincas, along with around 15 regular employees. In times of need, the farmers’ families will even muck in to help out.
What many Colombian farmers share is the dedication and commitment to their land, as it is considered a gift from God, something special and sacred to preserve and to which they fully dedicate their time, efforts…and life! For this reason from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm you will find them among the coffee plantations, harvesting, helping their employees or helping their family with the coffee processing. (This is their routine during the harvest season, and otherwise, you will find them doing all the necessary jobs to maintain the finca, such as control of plant diseases, wheat, etc.)
Aside from coffee plants, the farms are also home to several different crops, such as plátano, mandarines, oranges, and sugar cane, just to name a few.
Product
On the route towards the harbour of Cartagena, this special micro-lot makes a stop at our Mill in Medellín, where the cherries are processed. It might seem obvious, but the incredible dedication combined with the perfect climate conditions, are what make this coffee lot so special. This is visible from the words of Mery and Benjamín. Their ambition is high but very promising since their aim is to be among the best coffee producers.
Both farms are winners of different competitions on “best speciality coffee in Nariño”. We could not miss the chance to have this high-quality product on our offer list since they’re the one of the few lots coming from that area.
Price
For these growers, the main challenge is to find a fair coffee business where they can place their high-quality products. Aside from that, the possibilities to export this coffee and to let people know about it are even more difficult.
Our relationship with El Crucero and La Estancia has just started, but the initial feedback is hopeful. They are interested in receiving training and we are eager to let them grow and collect the results in the future.
“What makes me happy is knowing that I can rely on a commercial partner such as The Coffee Quest” – B. D. C. Botina, La Estancia
Transparency, collaboration, and quality are the values on which we base our relationships, so we are happy when our producers are willing to share the same values and feel satisfied. We are even more grateful to see that producers can rely on us and that they consider us as true “allies” in the coffee business. Seeing their efforts being rewarded correctly is what pushes our work.
“The happiest moment with The Coffee Quest was when they called me saying they were interested in my coffee” – M. Garcia, El Crucero
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Planet
Both farmers are taking steps for a better environment. From fighting plant diseases to applying their fertilizers, they use eco-friendly products as alternatives to chemicals. In addition, they avoid any kind of fire to preserve the flora and fauna of the neighbouring area. They are trying to reduce and manage residual material after the coffee process too. The residual organic material is then used as fertilizer.
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