06 | El Placer

Spot Continental NJ

Producer
Ruberto Martinez		Description
Honey, pastry, bakers chocolate, cherry
Process
Washed, sun-dried		Varietals
Castillo F4 and F11
Region
Nariño		Elevation
1,800 meters
Position
Spot CTI New Jersey		Warehouse
Continental Terminals, New Jersey
As one of ten children, Ruberto was raised growing coffee alongside his siblings. He considers coffee farming a way of life, not just a job, so it comes as no surprise that he is now continuing the tradition.

El Placer is planted with 8,000 trees of the Castillo F4 and Castillo F11 varietals. Above average rainfall in both the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons has led to a considerable decrease in yields per tree. Ruberto laments that while the coffee trees flower, the excessive rain causes the flowers to fall off the tree before the nodes can develop into fruit. This leaves him, and other local farmers, with less coffee to sell.

He believes that relationships are the key to making the coffee industry sustainable. Through his commitment to investing the time and effort needed to produce consistent coffee, he aims to overcome the production variables. Ruberto hopes his quality focus will help El Placer prosper and encourage generations to come to continue the family farming tradition.

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30 | El Edén

Spot Continental NJ

Producer
Francisco Giraldo		Description
Chocolate, maple syrup, sugar cane, citrus
Process
Washed		Varietals
Castillo, Caturra
Region
Antioquia		Elevation
1,850 meters
Position
Spot CTI New Jersey
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Our strong relationship with Francisco has helped us work through some particularly challenging times over the past two years. A resurgence of activity among illegal paramilitary groups in the area had a direct impact on the farmers and their families. With multiple displacements during the harvest, Francisco and his wife, Amparo, were forced to leave cherries in the fields, pack their belongings, and move the family to the nearest town in search of safety.

Francisco continues to look towards the future and it does not surprise us that he remains so dedicated in the face of adversity. He has lived through many years of armed conflict and fell victim to a landmine himself in 2009. Lucky to escape with his life, he lost one eye as well as his sense of taste and smell. However, his dedication to his coffee never faltered. He grew up working with coffee alongside his father at El Edén and chose to continue the legacy after his father passed away.
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