Astrid Medina / Colombia

Once again this year, with the support of Colombian exporter Fair Field Trading (F.F.T.) and Japanese importer SYU・HA・RI, we purchased coffee from Astrid Medina, referred to below as Astrid.

Astrid’s farm, Finca Buenavista, is located in Gaitania, a district within the municipality of Planadas in southern Tolima, central Colombia. The farm extends across steep slopes at approximately 1,800–2,000 metres above sea level along the Central Cordillera of the Andes. Astrid was born and raised here and represents the third generation of a coffee-growing family that began with her grandfather. Like her father and grandfather before her, she continues to produce coffee while personally attending to every detail of the farm.

We first visited Astrid in 2016 and began working with her in 2017. Various circumstances subsequently prevented us from accessing her coffee, but in 2024 we were finally able to begin purchasing it again. In 2025, we had the opportunity to return to Buena Vista once more.

When we first tasted her coffee, we were astonished that Colombian coffee could be so fruity, with such bright, refined acidity. Coffees of this kind may no longer be unusual today, but at the time it was a truly special experience for us.

Even now, the first time we taste her coffee each year, we are struck by its sweetness. We purchase several different varieties from Astrid, and every one of them possesses such a distinct, ripe-fruit sweetness that we can clearly distinguish her coffees from those of other producers.

Today, Buena Vista encompasses an extensive 15 hectares. A wide range of varieties is cultivated here, including Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, Geisha, Pink Bourbon, Tabi and Papayo. The farm also has its own nursery, where various varieties are grown on an experimental basis.

Buena Vista was passed down from Astrid’s grandfather to her father, Aureliano Medina Arce. Astrid took over the farm following her father’s death in 2006.

After her father passed away, Astrid inherited the farm together with her siblings. She subsequently purchased additional plots of land little by little, expanding the farm to its present size of approximately 15 hectares. She manages the farm with her husband, Raúl, who originally trained as a veterinarian and later took responsibility for coffee quality.

The property includes a mill for processing coffee, a parabolic dryer fitted with large drying beds, and accommodation for pickers and other workers during the harvest season.

Washed coffees are produced with meticulous care at Buena Vista. Cherries picked at peak ripeness are taken to a sorting table, where only the highest-quality fruit is selected. The selected cherries are rested intact for 24 hours before being depulped and dry-fermented in tanks for a further 24 hours. They are then washed three times, sorted by flotation, and transferred to elevated drying beds. Depending on the weather, drying takes approximately 15–20 days.

The farm has two harvest seasons each year: April to June and October to December. Astrid and Raúl are committed to building a sustainable business model and providing workers with fair compensation. Coffee pickers are often required to work for modest wages, and Buena Vista is no exception. Retaining workers while helping them understand the practices necessary to maintain high quality is both extremely challenging and absolutely essential.

Because their livelihoods are at stake, some pickers may leave for another farm without warning if it offers higher wages, regardless of differences in quality standards. Without enough workers, however, coffee cherries cannot be picked at precisely the right time, causing the quality of the harvested fruit to decline. To prevent such problems, Astrid and Raúl continually work to build trust and mutual understanding with their pickers.

Astrid and her husband Raúl believe that truly exceptional coffee cannot be produced if even one mistake occurs at any stage, from harvesting through processing. For them, producing outstanding coffee requires everyone involved to share the same principles, work towards a common goal and communicate openly.

Astrid began receiving widespread recognition in Colombia and abroad after winning the 2015 Cup of Excellence. Even today, however, she reinvests most of the farm’s coffee revenue in its facilities and in improving living conditions for the pickers.

Twenty years ago, there was nothing on this land. Today, it has facilities of a standard rarely seen on other farms in Tolima—and every one of them was created for the people involved in producing its coffee.

＜A Message from Astrid Medina to Everyone in Japan＞

The story of Finca Buenavista and me is one of unwavering passion, a defiant spirit and an enduring commitment to quality. Choosing our coffee means not only enjoying the distinctive flavours of Colombia, but also supporting sustainable and innovative coffee farming. Fair Field, with whom my relationship began in the year I won the Cup of Excellence, remains my principal export partner today, and I am proud of the strong relationship we have built. I invite you to join us on the journey from the moment the coffee flowers bloom to the cup that enriches your table. I am deeply grateful for the essential role each of you plays in our story.