José Eusebio
Many children dream of becoming an astronaut, a firefighter, or doctor, but when Jose Eusebio was a boy, he dreamed of becoming a coffee farmer. His father served as an early inspiration for him as he taught him to pick and process coffee cherries on the family farm. “As one grows up, it is easy to get distracted in life doing something else, but I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do,” says José Eusebio.
As an adult, Jose Eusebio worked picking coffee cherries, processing, and fertilizing coffee on other farms, eventually saving enough money to purchase Las Mercedes, a farm neighboring where he grew up.
With an altitude of 1,850 MASL, the farm has an ideal climate for growing and processing specialty coffee. Due mainly to a forest reserve covering a portion of the property, the air is fresh, the landscape is verdant, and the ecosystem is teeming with colorful birds. “Coffee is the most important crop for us, but it is even more meaningful because my father taught me everything I know,” explains José Eusebio.
As a smallholder farmer, he notes how challenging it can be to recover costs from one harvest to the next due to the low prices paid for coffee. However, he sees an opportunity to gain higher prices for the coffee he produces, leading to more stability and improvements. “We feel that specialty buyers, like Cosecha Traders, appreciate our hard work,” says Jose Eusebio.
Jose Eusebio also grows crops like plantain, yucca, and green peas for his consumption and is looking into farming other crops to supplement coffee during the non-harvest seasons. His heart is undoubtedly into producing the best specialty coffee possible and continuing his family tradition.
Department: Huila
Varietals: Colombia and Caturra
Altitude: 1850 MASL
Shade Trees: Plantain, cámbulos, orange, cañajito, bamboo