Rosa Romero, farm El Piñalito

I very well remember how we used to climb into our coffee plants when I was little.

Coffee trees would be a more appropriate name, I dare say! Our dad had a small parcel of land where he grew coffee which barely required any work or maintenance. The beans just grew back year after year, and we only needed to take out the weeds occasionally.

When our dad died, my siblings and I took over and me being the eldest child, I took the lead in running our little farm. Apart from coffee, we also grew corn, kidney beans and some other crops, mostly to feed our family.

Later, when I was a young adult, I married my husband, who was a coffee farmer as well. We’ve always worked together, and I am mostly in charge of pickers during the peak season, weeding and keeping the land tidy and clean, and coordinating all the different aspects. 

Several of my adult children live in the US so my children who are still here and I also tend to their farms because they cannot do that themselves. Some of the children say I shouldn’t go to the farms too often or for too long because they are afraid that I may fall or slip but I don’t agree. I’ve been walking on that land for more than half a century, and I know every square inch of it, better than they!

What I like a lot as well is drying and preparing the coffees. Admittedly, that is a bit more leisurely than the heavy-duty work in the farm itself during the picking season, and I can do that closer to home. Half a century ago, in the seventies, my dad always kept a few bags of coffee worth that he prepared as natural, which was not at all common back then, but natural profiles were the ones I liked most, and I still do.

Nowadays, preparations are much more controlled, more consistent and homogeneous. Thankfully, my children help me to keep up with new practices to make sure that we stay in line with the changing preference of our partner roasters. One of my children is Roy Hernández, a Cafesmo member as well, who partners with roasters in Europe, Asia, and the Americas since quite some years now.

And while coffee is immensely important in my life, it is not the only thing that matters. I love to share as much as I can with my children who are in the US. We do videocalls, I tell them the latest news about our village and their siblings, nephews and nieces, and it also allows me to feel closer to them. Cooking I as well really like. Preparing a meal for my loved ones on Sunday, or at night after a hard day of work on the farm, keeps us united and at peace as a family!

Farm facts: 

The land is located at 1,250 meter and is a little more than two hectares.

The main varietals are Parainema, Pacas, IH-Café 90

The farm is certified organic, RFA, and Fair Trade.

There is lots of shadow from shade trees but also fruit trees like guayaba, mango, citric, bananas, which are great for family consumption as well.