Farm info

This coffee comes from nine farms surrounding the town of Berruecos in the Nariño department of Colombia. Neighboring other municipalities well-known for specialty coffee, the area has good conditions for coffee cultivation. The town sits at 2110 meters above sea level, with temperatures averaging 14–20 °C and a relative humidity of 60–70%.

Berruecos means “place full of rocks.” This name was given during the 17th century when the town acted as an obligatory waypoint for caravans traveling between Popayán and Pasto. Today, the area is recognized as a National Monument and Archaeological Reserve following the discovery of “Piedra de los Monos” or “Piedra del sol,” a huge stone engraved with petroglyphs.

The people of Berruecos and the surrounding villages have directed their economy toward agriculture. Farmers grow crops such as corn, beans, bananas, yucca, fique, blackberries, and fruit trees; but the main crop for the area is coffee. Local producers grow several varieties, including Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, Gesha, and Pink Bourbon.

Selling coffee has historically been a challenge for the producers of Berruecos, often relying on selling to coyotes, due to the remote location of the town, the difficult travel required to reach nearby coffee centers, and a general lack of market access. Recently however, producers from the area are being recognized for the quality of their work, and new opportunities to sell their coffees for better prices are arriving to the area. This blend is an example of that recognition, and results from a collaborative effort between local producers and others in the supply chain to connect the coffee and producers of Berruecos with the world.


The nine farms and the producers responsible for producing the coffee in this blend are:

Don Antonio – El Naranjo
Mr. Jose Maria and Mrs. Luz Mery Berna – Finca Las Cuadras
Mr. Hector Salazar – El Aguacate
Mr. Rosalio – Miraflores
Doña Celina – El Naranjo
Don Jaime – El Motilón
Don Pedro – El Romboy
Don Segundo – El Cabuyal
Don Pablo – El Mata de Guada

The two hectare El Naranjo farm is managed by Don Antonio. For this harvest he chose to utilize longer fermentation times than the traditional Washed processing that he usually uses for his coffee.

Finca Las Cuadras is managed by Mr. Jose Maria and his wife Mrs. Luz Mery Bernal, with the help of Jose’s brothers-in-law.

Starting in 2020, both El Naranjo and Finca Las Cuadras began focusing on specialty coffee production. They sought out technical assistance from other producers, receiving recommendations on fertilization, cultivation work and management, harvest, processing, and storage. All of this additional work is aided by family members and neighbors.

El Aguacate farm is owned by Mr. Hector Salazar, an agronomy teacher in Berruecos and a coffee producer dedicated to specialty coffee.

The Miraflores farm is managed by Mr. Rosalio. He has dedicated a large part of his life to coffee, including educating his four children about the work and passing on his passion for the crop. Harvest and processing is overseen by Mr. Rosalio and his sons, while harvest and quality control is managed by his wife and daughters.

Doña Celina owns El Naranjo farm, which shares a name with Don Antonio’s farmland. Doña Celina was born with a motor disability and a dedication to ensuring that it doesn’t stop her from her activities at home with her brothers and nephews. She planted her own hectare of coffee and takes care of the processing, alongside some of the work in the field.

El Motilón farm in El Tauso village is owned by Don Jaime, who works with his children and wife. The family’s primary work has been fique cultivation, an organic fiber used in textiles for making coffee bags.

El Romboy farm, neighboring El Motilón, is managed by Don Pedro, a disabled producer who works with his sister and two brothers.

Also located in El Tauso village, El Cabuyal farm is managed by Don Segundo. Don Segundo works on the farm with his children where they grow cane sugar, beans, and fruit trees alongside 3000 Caturra variety coffee trees.

Finally, El Mata de Guada farm is owned by Don Pablo and his wife. Don Pablo began farming coffee following an unfortunate accident during his career as a truck driver which left him without his left hand. Today, he has dedicated himself to specialty coffee production and works with his two sons on the farm as they study agronomy and biology.

Region

Nariño

Nariño is one of Colombia’s 32 Departments. It shares a southern border with Ecuador and is home to thousands of smallholder coffee producing families. Colombia’s three ranges of Andean mountains converge in Nariño, presenting ideal altitudes and fertile soil for high grown Arabica production.

Nariño’s particular geography and proximity to coastal and land borders have historically transformed it into corridors for illicit trade routes, resulting in unwarranted violence against residents of remote mountain farms. Today, thanks to the particularly resilient and fearless spirit of Nariño’s farmers, the small region is a respected nucleus of coffee innovation.