Monte Frio Hector Rivas Castillo Anaerobic Natural

Hector Rivas inherited Finca Monte Frio in the 1950s and has been cultivating coffee there ever since. The farm was acquired by Hector’s great grandfather, Antonio since 1902. In the 1950s, Antonio sold part of the farm to Hector. Today, Hector’s sons, Ferney and Oscar Rivas and their 3 children (Hector’s grandchildren) manage the farm.

Finca Monte Frio is named for the cave where people hid during the Thousand Days’ war (1899 to 1902). The cave is located at the top of a climb that Hector likens to a “monte” (Spanish for mountain). “Frio”, which is Spanish for “cold”, comes from the cold temperatures on the farm and in the cave. 

Interestingly enough, the farm straddles two departments. Half the farm is located in Huila and the other half in Tolima

The Rivas have been planting new varieties on the farm to continue improving coffee quality. They have recently planted 50,000 seedlings of Bourbon Sidra, Geisha, Pacamara and Montefrio (a new variety). In addition to coffee, they also cultivate sugarcane, plantain and oranges on Finca Monte Frio.

Eighty to 100 hired laborers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry that’s processed on the farm. Cherry is placed in plastic bags that are sealed to ferment anaerobically for 5 days. Following fermentation, cherry is laid inside silos to dry.

Tolima lies deeply nestled in the Central Andes. While the climate is well suited for coffee production, Tolima has remained a less popular region due to the prevalence of armed conflict and drug trafficking. Many farming communities have been caught in the crosshairs of these conflicts.    

More recently, the region has had an opportunity to open up and reduce incidents of violence and drug production or smuggling. Despite its complicated past, Tolima is Colombia’s third-largest coffee-producing department. 

In such conditions, producer organizations play an important role in transforming their communities. Associations or cooperatives can create more jobs and make coffee appear more appealing to young people. Many groups in the region organize courses and training to develop barista skills, quality control and even business management.  

In a region where the job availability outside of coffee farming is very limited, providing new opportunities for work is essential to draw young people away from becoming involved in the endless cycle of violence and criminality. On top of all the community-wide benefits, being part of a cooperative helps producers gain much better access to support on an agronomical, commercial and economic level.