Coffee cultivation is relatively new to Yacuanquer. Smallholder farmers in Yacuanquer were growing beans until around 20 years ago, when the climate changed and became more hospitable to tropical plants, like coffee. An opportunity blossomed and a new generation of coffee producers was born.
This coffee comes to us by way of Toldopamba Coffee. A few years ago, the owners of Toldopamba were contacted by coffee producer in Yacuanquer named Carlos Estrada. Carlos was seeking help marketing his coffee and connecting with buyers willing to pay premiums for the quality he was producing. After a few seasons consulting with Carlos, Toldopamba made a big push to work with a group of farmers in the region, purchasing lots and sorting them by quality. Recently, they hosted a fertilization workshop with the group led by an agronomic engineer, facilitating the exchange of technical knowledge and improved practices amongst the producers.