Jesus Ruiz

Prior to working with coffee, Jesús Ruiz used to cultivate corn and beans, but he has now been harvesting coffee for more than 25 years, and in 2018 he switched to specialty coffee. When the people of his town began to plant coffee, Jesus was unable to do so at first, as he did not have the financial resources to maintain a new crop. Things changed in 1995 when together with his wife Ana, the couple were able to start planting coffee.

The first year they planted 100 plants and with a little more effort the following year, 500 plants. After 2 years, Jesús and Ana planted another 500 and, therefore, the goal was to keep planting 300 to 500 plants every year. By 2005, they already had around 3,500 Catuai trees. The same year, 1,000 Pacamara plants were planted, and in 2007 another 2,500. Hence, Finca Las Cebadias, named after the former barley plantations in the region, has gradually increased in size and has diversified in varieties, over the years.

For Jesus and his family, it is important to grow coffee respecting and preserving the environment. During the fruit season, especially when the “jocotes” or hog plums ripen, flocks of birds and squirrels migrate to their farm to feed- it is a hubbub of activity in the morning and afternoon. For the family, what is “special” about the coffee they produce is that they earn an income from their work while still protecting nature.