Bullfighting to Beans - Felipe's Story
My name is Felipe Ramírez Echeverry, I am 32 years old. For as long as I can remember, I have longed to fulfill my aspirations to be positively impactful, to live the historical moments that leave a legacy for generations.
I arrived in Quindio in 2014, with family fortunes depleted after my father’s 26 month battle against lung cancer that ultimately claimed his life. Leaving my mother alone in Manizales, I embarked on the journey accompanied by my wonderful wife Estefania, my delightful daughter Mariana, three cats, and a dog.
My hands held a box with a variety of Geisha coffee poppies, and my heart held a purposeful passion to pursue the coffee project that my father and I had longed for. The path propelled me to the farm of my father-in-law, Germán, where coffee farming has been the family tradition for over 30 years.
Initially, the work was difficult. The plants were subjected to very adverse conditions because the sowing of this variety is recommended at 1600m above sea level, even with the aid of chemically synthesized inputs. Our planting conditions are at 1400masl with exclusively organic agricultural inputs. Much of the plantation entered a very high-stress period, causing plants to become ill and several plants even died.
As a veterinarian, I had studied the critical impact of symbiotic microorganisms on ensuring the health of their host. I speculated the same concept could be applied to the microorganisms in the soil to revitalize the microbiome.
Our second child, Antonio, was born In June 2017. This was a joyous milestone that was accompanied by a noticeable increase in the number of insects, birds, and mammals on the farm, a sign that we were on the right track to invigorating the ecosystem despite our lack of a crop. Our social circles grew smaller as our finances grew more constricted, however, we passionately persevered.
At last, we finally had our first big harvest! We were visited by the certifier in September 2018, and as soon as the auditor left the farm I rushed to my wife, my faithful companion, and our children, my reason for fighting, and I knelt with them with tears in my eyes repeatedly affirming "I know they will certify us".
On December 7, 2018, the certifier called me and said “Felipe, son, welcome to the select group of organic cultivators, you have the only certified organic Geisha plantation in Quindío among more than 5200 farms!” I immediately informed my family of this great news, one of the happiest messages of my life thus far!
We are extremely proud of our world-class geisha and cannot wait for you to experience the quality we strive to ensure and the love we happily share with our coffee!
Respectfully,
-Felipe R.E.
