People
In the southernmost part of Colombia, Nariño, lies Finca La Estancia. The producer, and the main operating force behind this farm is Benjamín Dennis Ceron Botina. La Estancia’s coffee is one of the very first lots we received from the Nariño region back in the day when our Colombia’s operation had not reached Southern Colombia.
Following his family inheritance, Benjamin purchased La Estancia along with his father in 2012 and it has been scaling up ever since. From contributing towards a group lot, Finca La Estancia is now able to produce its own micro lot. 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!
Benjamin is truly dedicated to his farm, as he also lives on his finca. During peak harvest time, around 15 regular employees came along to assist with farming tasks. Outside of harvesting hours, Benjamin works on maintenance of the farm, weed and pest control, fertilization, planting of other crops (beans, vegetables, fruit trees among others).
Moreover, he always sees an opportunity for any kind of improvement. During the off season, for example, he spends his time learning English on Duolingo. Benjamin’s future vision is to become the best producer he can be, with training and professional support. He also aims to buy his one warehouse within 3-5 years’ time.
Aside from coffee plants, the farm is also home to several different crops, such as banana, mandarine, avocado, oranges, and sugar cane, just to name a few.
La Estancia is the winner of different competitions on “best specialty coffee in Nariño”. Hence, The Coffee Quest could not miss the chance to have this high-quality product on our offer list as our first Nariño lot. Coffee from Finca La Estancia is a great contribution to our assortment which represents our newly-explored region Nariño.
Prior to 2021, Benjamin was already one of our suppliers in accordance with other farmers in the region. He has now managed to provide us with the full lot of Geisha for the first time. Staying exceptional in quality as always is how these Geisha beans stand out.
Price
Benjamin agrees with most coffee farmers that the main challenge for them remains 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 La Estancia is still at the beginning phase, but the initial feedback is hopeful as we both understand how this collaboration represents our shared values and directs towards the right goal. Benjamin specifically places high expectations in our partnership to help him reach his full potential as a coffee producer.
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Planet
The influence of farming on the natural environment has always been a conscious topic at La Estancia. Thus, environmentally-friendly farming practices are currently implemented on the whole farm scale, including proper management of waste and water and the preservation of fauna and flora surroundings. Benjamin also processes the coffee husk afterward to use as crop fertilizer. There is no sign of insecticides and pesticides used in Finca la Estancia.
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