An Organic Coffee Farm

Outside of Filandia, Colombia, we were able to take a private tour of Ruben's organic coffee farm. Ruben himself took us on a walk through his fields to show us some of the challenges of growing coffee organically. Instead of using toxic chemicals, Ruben plants night jasmine and other grasses that release odours that keep insects at bay. In the past, almost all of the coffee cherries would ripen at the same time for harvest, but nowadays due to climate change, coffee cherries regularly ripen outside of harvest time and the fields have to be dutifully combed for the ripe coffee cherries which attract pests. We met one of the pickers in the fields, got to see how the coffee is sorted and dried, and of course were able to taste the amazing final product. Seeing the hard-working faces behind some of the best coffee we've ever tried made the experience one that we'll never forget.