Colombia, El Canal y El Cajon

Dates - Milk Chocolate - Vanilla

Carlos is a dedicated farmer and member of the Cultivando Futuro association, an organization founded in 2019 to empower coffee producers in Colombia. With 28 passionate members, the group provides valuable resources like farm tool libraries, centralized warehouses, cupping labs, and transportation support. Cultivando Futuro even mentors isolated farming communities, helping them refine their coffee production practices. Carlos, alongside his wife Yenni and his father, manages a 2.5-hectare farm near Buesaco. Their commitment to biodiversity, sustainable farming, and specialty coffee is evident in every harvest, enriched by a vibrant ecosystem of avocado, banana, and shade trees.

A Passion for Specialty Coffee

Carlos approaches coffee farming with discipline, love, and a thirst for knowledge. Since joining Cultivando Futuro, he has trained in fermentation techniques and agronomic field management through programs like “Cafés de Punto” at the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. Carlos’s journey hasn’t been without challenges—early setbacks, like losing a harvest to mold, taught him the importance of precision. Today, he produces exceptional specialty coffee, supported by innovative techniques like vermiculture, which generates 8,000 kg of organic fertilizer annually to enrich his farm’s soil.

Meticulous Processing for Quality

Carlos’s coffee is the result of careful, hands-on processing. Ripe cherries are hand-picked, floated to remove defects, and undergo an initial 48-hour fermentation in sealed bags. After de-pulping, they ferment for another 48 hours in mucilage before being washed twice. The beans are then dried for 10 days on raised beds, ensuring even moisture retention. On especially busy days, the local school playground doubles as a drying area, reflecting Carlos’s resourcefulness. The result is a coffee rich in flavor and quality, embodying the resilience and innovation of Cultivando Futuro.