Our group at 6000 ft., atop Finca El Silencio
Having just returned from the town of Jardin, Colombia for the 3rd year is a row, I’m reflecting a bit on how each year, a different discovery is found on the trips. A lot of this has to do with the itinerary that our hosts, the Vasquez family, create each year, but also the people we meet, and the interactions we have with new farmers and fellow coffee travelers. This year, we were fortunate to have Jackie Victor and Atiba Seitu from Avalon Breads in Detroit accompany us. It was their first trip to visit the place where we source the coffee used in all of their cafes and restaurants and provided a in depth view of how we go about sourcing their coffee.
We visited the 1 hectare El Llano farm plot on the Resguardo Indigena de Cristianía owned by Humberto Carupia, who processes coffee for his entire family, where attention to detail and quality allow him to reinvest in equipment and send his daughter to university for an engineering degree. At the other end we took a long trek (2 1/2 hours) with Hektor Ramírez at El Silencio whose 99 hectare farm is divided between coffee (47 hectares) and protected habitat and conservation area (45 hectares). These two provided an up close view of the dedication to quality and sustainability that make our partners some of the best to work with in the world.
When not moving from one place to the other, we tasted unique and distinctive regional coffees and small micro-lots from more than a dozen other producers that we have met in the past, or didn’t have time to visit personally on this trip. We spent an afternoon in the Empressas de Antioquia mill, delving into the process where producers have their coffee inspected, graded and purchased with 100% transparency and above average prices. I’m continually surprised each year at what’s uncovered that I did’t know the year before and happy to see the progress of coffee in this region. We can’t wait to visit again and see the changes that will take place over coming years.
Humberto Carupia, El Llano. High quality production allows his family to reinvestment in equipment.
Rogelio López - Angela Muñoz, Finca La Carmentulia
Atiba by the drying patio, El Llano
Daily cupping table of coffees available from area farms
Atiba at the cupping table.
Jackie and Atiba by an original Willy’s Jeep, which was manufactured right across the street from Avalon’s Bake House
Hello from the hill tops
In addition to tasting coffee, we were treated to some interesting Colombian delicacies.
In a few months, this coffee will land at our Main St. roasting plant.
The cathedral in Jardin decorated for the holidays.
Last look at the view until next year.