Meet the Farmer

La Fragua Estate sits under the long shadow of Media Luna mountain, near Nilo, in Cundinamarca Department. The 75 hectare (one hectare equals about 2.5 acres) farm was founded in 1876 by the ancestors of Juanita Sinisterra, who is part of small but growing trend of women run farms. 

Hauling the equipment across these steep mountains without modern roads or vehicles required unimaginable determination.The name "La Fragua" means "The Forge," since much of the equipment and tracks had to be forged on-site to haul the material and build the equipment necessary to run a coffee farm. 

In addition, there are ancient petroglyphs made by indigenous tribes of unknown origin, due to the their age. Some have been carbon dated as far back as 3,600 B.C. with fragments found to be 40,000 years old. 

Juanita describes her recent efforts to educate pickers on the importance of selecting only ripe coffee cherries and also her dedication to improving the quality of coffees. She is rewarded by receiving quality premiums and a relationship with small roasters who can guarantee that her coffees are purchased