Brothers Working Together.
Way up in the mountains of Caicedo, the Rivera family has a few plots of land and farms coffee. When brothers Duvan and Over were old enough, each was given their own plot to farm and manage. And at some of the most extreme rural elevations, the Rivera brothers have produced some of our most favorite coffees.
Getting coffee from their farm, El Retiro, is almost a miracle. While Duvan and Over both made strong decisions to pursue quality as the best way to develop their farm parcels, actually getting those higher quality coffees into the hands of a roaster is a whole other step. Luckily for us, Pedro from green coffee exporter Pergamino immediately thought of Ruby as soon as they were able to make connections in Caicedo:
"We had marked Caicedo as a region of high quality potential due to its altitude and because there was still many farmers growing more traditional varieties, like Caturra. Antioquia is a state that produces A LOT of coffee but it has never been known for its quality. Caicedo had been highly affected by violence during the 90’s but has sustained most of its coffee farms and coffee traditions. We developed first a relationship with a local coop of growers and through them started to see samples of producers that had potential to enter a specialty coffee program. The Rivera Family, of which Duvan is a member, was some of the first to participate in the program."
Pedro said that when he first saw these samples he knew that the Rivera family's coffees would be a great fit for Ruby, and we quickly added Duvan's coffee to our menu. That same year, Jared was able to travel to El Retiro with Pedro and meet Duvan, and at the same time was introduced to Over and his coffees as well.
That trip helped cement our relationships with both Rivera brothers, and we're thrilled to be able to offer both of their coffees again this year.