A Visit to Finca Momota Coffee Farm

My wife Hena was searching for a coffee farm tour and visit. She mentioned one of them was a well-oiled machine and offered tours for tourists all the time, and it was well organized. She then mentioned another farm that practiced permaculture. Of course, I wanted to go to the one with permaculture practice.

The farm was within walking distance from the town center of Salento. Well, actually, when we asked for the jeep (they call it a wheely), the Wheely people said they would not take us to that farm, so we had no choice but to walk.

As we walked along the narrow dirt path, we understood why the wheely couldn’t go there - it was narrow and winding! After about 20 minutes, we arrived at the farm, Finca Momota.

The owner walked us through the farm, and I really loved it. It’s one thing to read about coffee growing, but it’s a completely different experience to see it in action.

Soil

Modern monoculture farms usually till the land, cut down all the trees, remove or kill all the weeds, and then plant the cash crop. Finca Momota does things very differently. First, they grow coffee trees among many other trees - both tall trees, medium-sized trees, and various small plants. Why? Clearly, for reducing soil erosion and maintaining the harmony of all the trees, grass, and soil bacteria in permaculture practice.

They also keep chickens, and the owner said they give chicken manure to the trees because coffee is a heavy nitrogen feeder. They also showed us worm compost and mentioned that the worms they used were not native to Colombia; they were an imported species. They looked like our normal red wrigglers for vermicomposting. I’ve read that worms are not native to North America either - they died out during the last glacial period, and most earthworms in the USA are from Europe. (There is even an Asian jumping earthworm causing a significant impact on US forests today. Knowing that, I wondered what kind of impact these red wrigglers could have if they escaped.) They had a bucket to collect the “black water” from the worm compost. I used to collect it, and it makes an excellent liquid fertilizer.

Slope

They plant coffee trees on slopes, but they do not clear the slope and instead keep other trees. This is not only important for the coffee trees’ growth but is also an essential part of preventing soil erosion. I’ve seen many other sites in Colombia where they clear-cut the trees from the slopes, and I’ve heard that landslides are quite common there.

Pest

There are modern hybrid coffee plants that are disease-tolerant, but at Momota farm, they tend to grow traditional coffee types that have better flavor but are not disease-tolerant. There are also critters and insects that feast on coffee fruits (they call them coffee cherries) because they are sweet. The farm has Guayaba trees planted, and they serve as trap plants. They also create their own spray using chili and garlic for mold and mildew. The downside of using organic spray is that they need to apply it several times, which requires more labor. However, it is much safer for insects, other plants, farm workers, and coffee drinkers.

Seedling

When asked about the seedlings, the owner showed me the bed where they grow. It is made of sand! They use sand so that they can pluck the plants and move them to larger pots when they reach a certain size. I read that it takes a rather long time for coffee to sprout and grow. I have several coffee seeds, so I am thinking about planting them as well. I don’t expect them to survive the winter in Chicago, but perhaps I can grow them indoors.

Picking

Unlike big farm operations with clear-cut fields and rows and rows of coffee trees, the coffee trees at Momota farm stand rather sporadically. Workers have to pick coffee individually when the coffee cherry is ripe and turns red. Clearly, it is very labor-intensive and takes a lot of time to harvest. I’ve heard that it’s getting harder and harder for them to find coffee pickers. Most pickers are older people, and young people do not want to work as coffee pickers. Of course, I understand why - it’s outdoor work and doesn’t pay well. Who can blame them?

In Latin America, they have historically used slave labor or paid very little, providing hunger wages or wages in kind (meaning plantation owners don’t really pay them). They were supported by the poorest of these nations. Those of us who live in wealthy North America, Europe, or East Asia often don’t think about the lives of those involved in coffee production.

We take this cheap labor for granted. I noticed that the farm owner was limping - he must have been injured while working on the farm. Again, our coffee drinks are supported by countless numbers of cheap laborers in Latin America. This thought disturbs me quite a bit and gives me another perspective when I enjoy coffee each day.