Caracol - Colombia North 2015 Verified listing

CoE Ranking: 30

Farm: El Caracol

Farmer: Antonio María Castro Díaz

Birth Place & Date: December 15, 1952

Age: 62

Parents: Agapito Castro & Adela Díaz

Siblings: 11

Wife’s Name: María Mercedes Joven

Academic Level: Primary School

Vereda (Rural District): Charguayaco

Municipality: Pitalito

Department: Huila

Total Area Grown with Coffee: 5.5 hectares

% planted with resistant varieties (Colombia & Castillo): 20%/40%

% planted with susceptible varieties (Caturra): 40%

% of Young Technologically Advanced Coffee Plantations:

Coffee Plantation Ages: 1-5 years

Other farm crops: Banana, yucca

Post-harvest processing (“Beneficio”): Traditional

Score at Cup of Excellence 2015: 85.38

Altitude: 1600-1700 masl

Farmer’s Biography:

I was born on December 15, 1952, in Pitalito, Huila, the youngest of 11 siblings. The names of my parents are Agapito Castro and Adela Díaz. In 1954 we settled down in Charguayaco, where after 7 years old I started helping my parents on the farm, in which traditional coffee was planted. In 1972, barely at the age of 20, my father Agapito Castro gave me a land where I planted my first 1000 coffee trees of the Caturra variety. In 1977 I got married and six beautiful children (four women and two men) arrived. In 1987 my father distributed the farm among my five brothers. I started buying the lands to each of them and I currently own the entire paternal farm, where I continued renewing coffee plantations with the Colombia , Castillo and Caturra varieties. At this time the farm is producing coffee of the Caturra (40%), Colombia (20%) and Castillo (40%) varieties. So I have been an independent coffee grower for 42 years. Now I'm on the farm working along with a daughter, her husband and three grandchildren, and I am honored to be a coffee farmer. The farm is located in the Charguayaco “vereda” (rural district), in the municipality of Pitalito, Huila, between 1600 and 1700 masl. I have a 3-ha forest reserve, which has enough oak, myrtle and many other species.