Colombia Tolima Las Garzas (Natural)

Las Garzas ("the herons") Natural Community Lot comes from the municipality of Planadas in the department of Tolima, specifically from the corregimiento of Gaitania, a community steeped in history and renowned for its coffee. Located 331 kilometers from Bogota, in southern Tolima, Gaitania spans altitudes from 1400 masl at the town center to 5355 masl. About 50% of the Nevado del Huila is situated within Gaitania. As the third-highest mountain in Colombia -- surpassed only by the Colon and Bolivar peaks in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta -- it is a source of immense pride and serves as a critical water resource for the region. During the price crisis of the 1990s, many farmers resorted to planting opium poppy, a crop that brought significant hardship. However, this "fever" subsided after five years, and coffee producers returned to cultivating their preferred crop. Today, Gaitania's economy thrives on coffee production.

History of Colombian Coffee

As with many coffee origins, it is believed that coffee was first brought to Colombia by priests, arriving, perhaps, within a decade or two after coffee first came to the Americas via the Caribbean in the first half of the 17th century. It was likely a garden crop grown for local consumption and barter for decades. Unlike other coffee regions, we have the story of a priest named Francisco Romero, who could be called the father of commercial coffee cultivation in Colombia. The folkloric tale goes that in the early 1800s, Father Francisco, hearing confessions in the northeastern town of Salazar de la Palmas, assigned planting coffee to his parishioners as penance for their sins. The Archbishop of Colombia heard about this and ordered all priests to adopt the practice. Commercial production of coffee expanded quickly, moving into regions where the growing conditions were ideal.

Growing Coffee in Colombia

Even though it’s been 4,000 years, the soil resulting from the last major eruption of Tolima is still considered “young soil,” filled with nutrients that are no longer found at the same levels in old soil. There is a long list of elements on offer in volcanic soil that are fading or absent in other soils, such as high levels of potassium and nitrogen. Also present is something called “Boron,” which arrived from outer space a long time ago, and is important to cell walls, the creation of enzymes, and the production of flowers and fruit, meaning Boron contributes to yield. Beyond the nutrients, the structure of volcanic soil is also beneficial to coffee growing. It can soak up and hold moisture while, at the same time, facilitating good drainage so water doesn’t pool, which is not good for coffee plant roots. Coffee plants like to take a drink, then take a break. Also, volcanic soils are usually found on an incline, which also helps with drainage.