El Tolu (2015) - Colombia 2015 Verified listing

Ranking: 26

Farm: El Tolú

Farmer: Manuel Duarte Orduz

Birth Place & Date: Ragonvalia, Norte de Santander, April 16, 1955

Age: 59 years old

Parents: Sandalio Duarte Patiño (d) María Ordúz Duran

Siblings: 10

Wife’s Name: María Inés Contreras

Children: Luis Alberto Duarte Contreras

Academic Level: High school

Farm Name: EL TOLÚ

Rural District: Paso Antiguo

Municipality: Herrán

Department: Norte de Santander

Total Area Grown with Coffee: 1.84 hectares

% planted with resistant varieties (Colombia y Castillo): 100%

% planted with susceptible varieties (Caturra): 0%

% of Young Technologically Advanced Coffee: 100%

Other farm crops: banana,corn and beans

Post-harvest processing (“Beneficio”):

Score at Cup of Excellence 2015: 85.60

Farmer’s Biography:

I was born 59 years ago in the municipality of Ragonvalia, Norte de Santander. As a child I met coffee farming thanks to my father, who was who awakened my love for this crop.

My El Tolú farm is located in the rural district of Paso Antiguo, in the Herrán municipality, a place where I have lived over 35 years of marriage with my wife María Inés Contreras, a union from which my only son, Luis Alberto, was born 27 years ago.

My big goal is to be able to renew all coffee plantations that I have on my farm in the coming years, in order to maintain coffee production levels and quality, always seeking a balance with nature and environment.

I am very proud to be a coffee grower; every day, when I see my coffee plantations renewed, I get increasingly encouraged to go forward and when I drink a coffee grown by my own hands, my heart fills with joy, because I know it is the fruit of the work I do with my family.