Heaven and Sky in Colombia

The Apps Don't Work Here ...

My phone pinged. A new message from Gabriel Carvajal,

“ … remember farms can be super-hot or super-cold, depending on luck … especially the first few days we’re travelling - temperatures are going to range from 8 to 28 degrees centigrade …”

Gabriel’s our contact at Siruma Coffee, our partners in south west Colombia, he’s been sending over the need-to-knows.

Who, where, when.

Logistics and luggage suggestions.

And of course - a reminder on how changeable the weather is in this part of the world ...

I’ve been travelling to Colombia to buy coffee since 2017, so the forecast sounds familiar. I often think that the idea of the micro-climate must have been invented just for Colombia!

Valentina Duque, founder and owner of Siruma Coffee put it another way;

“the weather apps don’t work here ..."

I’ve just returned. After visiting farms in the regions of Tolima and Caldas I can confirm that the apps definitely don't work there. I didn't worry about that - the place, people and coffee were incredible ...

Siruma Coffee

Based in Manizales, Siruma’s ideas and values match our own. They’re working with small-scale growers, focusing on long-term relationships. Gabriel is our guide for the duration, along the way we also connect with Siruma’s agronomists and community workers, their cupping and QC team and of course the incredible producers we’re buying coffee from.

The name Siruma is taken from the indigenous Wayuu people of Colombia - it means “heaven and skies” - as well as a nod to the high altitude Colombian coffee lands, the name also signifies Siruma’s aspiration to build better futures for the farming families they work with. We’ve been buying Siruma’s coffees for several years but last month was the first time we’ve been able to visit them in person.

Siruma are working with producers in Caldas, Cauca and Tolima. Tolima and Cauca in particular produce some wonderful coffees; bright and sweet - the picks from the highest altitudes really shine with citrus and floral notes.

Although these growing regions are known for great coffee - all recognised as ‘designated coffee origins of Colombia’ - they have also experienced difficult times. Illicit coca production and the violence and conflict connected with this has long influenced daily life in Cauca and parts of Southern Tolima. Rather than shying away from the challenges of sourcing in these areas, Siruma started their journey here - precisely because this is where the support was needed most.

During the week I spend with Gabriel, we meet an incredible range of producers and associations who have been growing excellent quality but with limited opportunities to sell their coffee into the speciality market. With their network of agronomists Siruma are developing and improving quality, promoting sustainable practices and connecting farmers with roasters like us to build coffee communities for the future.

Amucaflome Association

The first association we visit is a relatively new project, a women-only co-operative headed by Nidia Ramirez. They have been working with Siruma for four years, the partnership works well and they appreciate working with an organisation like Siruma that is also female owned and lead.

The association have just 28 members. We attend an association meeting where we learn about the group and the challenges they face before visiting some farms, finishing for lunch at Nidia's house. This project is being developed in partnership with Bean Voyage, another female-lead coffee organisation that we have also worked with in Costa Rica.

Café Agrario

The following day I travel to Cafe Agrario, another small association with huge potential for growth. The farm sizes are slightly bigger and there's some fantastic quality - some high scoring lots of 88+.

We spend time at Aristóbulo Rayo's farm where he shows us his gesha lots and we learn about some parallel conservation projects that have been co-ordinated by one of Siruma's agronomists, Pilar Montez. Pilar works with younger members of the co-operative; as well as involving them in coffee cupping and quality there are projects to record the bird life in Tolima - Colombia is home to nearly 2000 species of birds, including some endemic to the region like the Tolima Dove.

San Lorenzo

The final group of producers I visit are based in and around San Lorenzo. Part of the Cooperativa de Caficultores de Alto Occidente de Caldas - they're well established - the organisation dates back to 1964.

We visit the purchase point of the Co-op before heading out to two very different farms in San Lorenzo. This is an indigenous reserve that focuses on Coffee and Sugar Cane, all done on an extremely small scale.

The producers have previously contributed to a great regional coffee for Siruma, but after a few years of working on quality growers now have the knowledge and capacity to get microlots and outstanding coffee in general.