Colombia, Israel Hernández Geisha

Israel Hernandez is a third-generation coffee producer from Rioblanco, Tolima, Colombia. At 15, his father had already taught him everything to know about coffee farming, from fertilisation to the post-harvest processes. This was the beginning of Hernández's passion, catalysing the dream of running his own coffee farm, and owning his own business.

In 2005, Israel purchased a small piece of land in a countryside town called Uribe. Just in front of it was an already established and beautiful coffee farm to which he would stare every day. After gathering some savings, he was able to buy it and start making waves in the coffee industry. He called his farm Buenos Aires (‘good airs’ in Spanish) because of its perfect weather and altitude. The main varieties growing there are Caturra and Castillo. In 2016, he learned about Geisha’s great potential for quality and income, so he decided to plant 1200 trees.

For Israel, receiving recognition for his hard work is very satisfying. In fact, one of his Geisha lots made it to 4th place in Colombia’s Cup of Excellence 2020. He says he continuously produces coffee with all his love because he believes that his coffee speaks for him to the whole world.

• Region: Tolima
• Country: Colombia
• Variety: Geisha
• Processing: Washed