In spring 2015, we visited two of Colombia's coffee regions - Antioquia and Qundío. This post will tell you more about our experience from Antioquia, where we stayed at Luis Emilio's organic finca.
We want to share experiences from the region Antioquia, one of the most important production areas in the country. Located in the northwest of the country, its capital is Medellin. Besides it, we moved mainly in the field of the micro-region of Titribí.
We had visited Luis Emilio on his organic farm Cocondo. We first met him at a dinner with our common friends. We were intrigued by his stories about the farm and the work they have done in order to become the only producer of organic coffee in this region. Immediately we were convinced where we should go.
On our way to the farm (finca Cocondo), we went through the valleys of Andes mountains. We wandered the small mountain villages, the smiling villagers usually had to help us find our way. Finally, we met with Jorge, who is in charge of the farm. Jorge was a typical seventy-years-old youngster, who moved in the steep hills with incredible ease and took his machete off his belt just onla when he was relaxing on his patio and watched the beautiful mountains in the distance and flowing river Cauca in the valley. His presence gave us tremendous energy, he was enthusiastic about life on the farm and proudly boasted that the world went after him and he does not need to go anywhere.
On the farm we were moving between 1450-1700 meters above sea level, mostly in a forest in combination with fruit trees. At the upper edge of the farm, there was a water spring that irrigates it all. The water then further flows into lower-lying farms. We liked the way the farmers let the water flow through each other and do not waste it at the expense of others. We also liked the system of accumilating harvested cherries, which they dump into the pipes that lead down to the hinterland themselves and roll down to the collection point.
I'm sure you also know that we purchased the organic coffee Cocondo from Luis Emilio and we are proud to have it in our offer. Besides Cocondo, we are watching other coffees from Antioquia - we expect a lot from the results of Governor Sergio Fajardo's program, which focused on improving the quality of the harvests of local farmers. You can rely on hearing about Antioquia and its coffees from us again. #ZnamSvouKavu