Welcome to my experience on an organic coffee farm tour in Colombia.
In this post, I will share my personal experience of visiting a Colombian coffee farm and give you some ideas on what to expect.
Not only in case you are thinking of taking part in one yourself but also to learn a bit about the coffee-making process here in Colombia.
Coffee not only plays a role in my travels to Colombia, but it also travels the world with me as I carry Colombian coffee back to my home base.
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Coffee Farm Tour Colombia
Arriving in Jardin, Colombia for the first time I was stoked to finally arrive in one of Antioquia’s most popular coffee towns.
I had planned to visit Jardin with the idea of doing a coffee tour but little did I know how rewarding this experience would be.
In hindsight, I would have spent longer (and asked way more questions) but this is always the way when you are learning something new.
Coffee is something I have adopted on my trips backpacking South America! But it all started with the first trip to Mexico where I met with a coffee farmer in Oaxaca, but I’ll talk about that story another time.
Why do a Coffee Farm Tour?
When I first arrived in Colombia in 2015 I was never aware of how good the coffee was. It wasn’t until I went to stay in Buenos Aires that I struggled to get the same coffee and I realized how good it was.
On my return to Colombia in 2016 I started to drink more and more coffee.
Starting with Juan Valdez (my go-to coffee shop in Colombia) and working my way up the ranks to more superior coffees that you’ll only find in boutiques or by going direct to the Colombian coffee farmers.
See this page showcasing the best coffee tours from Medellin where I explain more on the impact of doing a local coffee tour in Colombia.
💡Smart Travel Tip
Doing a coffee farm tour is part of Agritourism and has many benefits for the local economy and helps farms reap that extra bit of income.
Since no crop is guaranteed, there are often times when a farmer can lose a cosecha (crop) and be without resources for a long period of time. These tours can help farmers recoup some of their losses.
Colombian Coffee
Colombia is known for having some of the best coffee in the world, and when you think about it, it’s not entirely unjustified!
I have experienced the taste, and if you get yourself out there and take a trip around the coffee region: to towns such as Salento, Santa Rosa de Cabal or Jerico you’ll very quickly start to realize what I mean.
I have identified that much of the reason why Colombian coffee is so damm good has much to do with the following factors:
- Geography
- Climate
- Knowledge
- Process
When you start to speak with these local coffee farmers you begin to realize that the coffee production process, knowledge, and wisdom have all been passed down through generations of coffee farmers.
If you are a keen coffee drinker, it is worth knowing that Colombia produces about 12% of the coffee on planet earth. This makes it the fourth-largest producer after Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
However, aside from the taste, there is something I find special and superior about Colombian coffee, can you guess what it is?
Keep reading about my experience and I’ll spill the beans…
Arriving in Jardin
The big day had finally arrived. There was a loud bell ring sound at my hotel door a few minutes before 7:00 am.
It was my pre-arranged moto-taxi who had arrived to whizz me off into the misty mountain where the coffee farm was located.
After greeting my pleasant driver and jumping in the back of his taxi, I couldn’t help but notice all the family photos in the cab.
I knew I had to organize myself (and my thoughts) because I was dead set on learning something valuable from this experience!
The misty morning clouds became denser! As we elevated up the mountains the sight of Coffee and Plantain became a common sight.
Accelerating up a dirt path to get closer to the Finca (farm), the moto-taxi came to a halt and I had finally arrived at the Finca Florida.
Isabella (the lady running the coffee tour) greeted me with open arms. After a few exchanges in Paisa Spanish, I asked… “Where do we start?”
– First things first! “Let’s drink coffee”, she said.
Whilst still talking, we took a few steps forward and entered a room full of coffee paraphernalia. She immediately began brewing a lovely cup of the farm’s organic coffee derived from some recently ground beans.
The Coffee Farm Tour
Looking back at this eventful day in the antioqueñan mountains, it is plain to see that this coffee farm tour was divided up into four sections:
My Welcome Greeting
This was one of my favorite parts because I got to try some coffee before starting and ask any questions before we started.
This was a chance to get acquainted with Isabella and practice some Colombian Spanish which is always very rewarding for me.
Isn’t it funny how after a cup of some of Colombia’s most potent coffee you get chatting away as if you had just drunk a few pints of beer?
I noticed my heart rate starting to speed up and one of the veins started pulsating in my arm (weird I know) but it was a sign for me to say “this is some really good coffee.” I proceeded to finish my cup.
Seedlings / Planting / Picking Beans
We moved outside and Isabella started to talk about the importance of seedlings and plantings seeds at the correct moment.
Her finger was pointing from all angles as I did my best to keep up with the rhythm of the coffee jargon in Spanish.
She handed me a woven straw basket and we went to the plantation and started to route around the trees looking for ripe beans to pick.
I tasted the beans right off the tree and was surprised by how sweet they are. I learned that at this stage they are not beans, but rather, cherries.
These coffee cherries, once mature, typically turn red (and others turn yellow) depending on the plant variety.
The inside of the coffee cherry contains a sugar coating called mucilage which is paired with a slimy film that helps protect the bean inside.
Processing / Fermentation / Drying
After picking cherries and taking a few pics of my colorful collection, we looked at a grinding machine that separates the bean from its coating.
After picking cherries and taking a few pics of my colorful collection, we looked at a grinding machine that separates the bean from its coating.
After picking cherries and taking a few pics of my colorful collection, we looked at a grinding machine that separates the bean from its coating.
From here we went over to a drying rack space where thousands of beans were already laid to try.
I then quickly grabbed my travel journal and started to take some notes that I had stored in my mind from what we had discussed. I knew for a fact some of this information would be useful for me in the future.
Sorting / Roasting / Serving Coffee
It started to rain, and luckily we had done with the outside bits and moved inside to look at how the beans are roasted and ground before serving some more cups of freshly ground organic coffee.
After asking plenty of questions about coffee and more specifically Colombian coffee beans I was able to understand more about the growing trade of specialty coffee from planting to exportation.
I was amazed by how clean the coffee tasted and Isabella explained that I could purchase the coffee there and then, or she could send the coffee to Medellin for me if I wanted any at a later date.
It was enriching for me to learn that a small farm just like Finca Florida in Jardin is able to grow, produce and market its own coffee brand without needing to rely completely on the commercial industry.
Over the years, many small farms, exactly like this one, have gone out of business, or, turned to producing other crops after seeing very little in terms of profit when working with the inter/national bodies.
This is the main reason why doing a coffee farm tour is a massive help, and by taking part in one, you may just help one of the 500,000+ families that work around the clock to keep their family tradition alive.
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Coffee Farm Tour Colombia
Thanks for reading about my coffee farm tour experience in Jardin.
Translated to “garden” in English, Jardin is one of the most endearing towns to visit in Antioquia, Colombia and it is not hard to see why.
With opportunities to learn about coffee at the plantations that surround the picturesque town, there are plenty of options to keep even the most seasoned of coffee aficionados entertained.
So, together we’ve explored the coffee farm, covered the things you’ll learn about, how to get there, as well sharing my personal experience.
I invite you now to start to read more of my Colombia travel blogs for even more ideas on where you can go in this amazing country.
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