Astrid Medina / Colombia

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

Astrid's farm, Finca Buenavista, is located in Gaitania, a district within the municipality of Planadas in southern Tolima, central Colombia. The farm stretches across steep slopes at approximately 1,800–2,000m above sea level along the central range of the Andes. She was born and raised here and is a third-generation coffee farmer, following in the footsteps of her grandfather. Like her father and grandfather before her, she continues to grow coffee while personally attending to the details of the farm.

We first visited her in 2016 and began buying her coffee in 2017. Various circumstances subsequently prevented us from accessing her coffee, but in 2024, we were finally able to offer it again. And this year, in 2025, we had the opportunity to return to Buena Vista.

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

Even now, the first time we taste her coffee each year, its sweetness surprises us. We purchase several varieties from her, and every one has a pronounced sweetness reminiscent of ripe fruit—distinct enough to set her coffees clearly apart from others.

Buenavista now covers an extensive 15 hectares. A wide range of varieties is grown here, including Caturra, Colombia, Castillo, Geisha, Pink Bourbon, Tabi, and Papayo. The property also has a nursery where various varieties are grown experimentally.

Buenavista was passed down from Astrid's grandfather to her father, Aureliano Medina Arce. Astrid took over the farm after her father passed away in 2006.

After his death, Astrid inherited the farm with her siblings and gradually purchased additional land, expanding it to its current size of approximately 15 hectares. She manages the farm together with her husband, Raul, who was originally a veterinarian and later became responsible for coffee quality.

The property has a coffee processing mill, a parabolic dryer fitted with large drying beds, and a house where pickers and other workers stay during the harvest.

Buena Vista produces washed coffee with meticulous care. Cherries harvested at full ripeness are taken to sorting tables, where only the highest-quality beans are selected. The selected cherries rest intact for 24 hours before pulping, followed by a further 24 hours of dry fermentation in tanks. The coffee is then washed three times and sorted by flotation before being moved to raised drying beds. Drying takes around 15–20 days, depending on the weather.

The farm has two harvest seasons each year, from April to June and from October to December. Astrid and Raul place great importance on building a sustainable business model and paying workers fairly. Coffee pickers work for wages that are far from high, and Buena Vista is no exception. Retaining workers while helping them understand the work required to maintain high quality is both extremely challenging and essential.

Because their livelihoods are at stake, some pickers may leave without warning for another farm offering better pay, regardless of coffee quality. Yet without enough workers, cherries cannot be picked at the right time, and the quality of the harvest suffers. To prevent such difficulties, Astrid and Raul continually work to build mutual understanding with their pickers.

Astrid and her husband Raul believe that a mistake at any stage, from harvesting to processing, can prevent them from producing truly high-quality coffee. For them, making good coffee requires a shared philosophy, a common goal, and active communication.

Since winning the Cup of Excellence in 2015, Astrid has earned recognition both in Colombia and internationally. Even so, she continues to reinvest most of her coffee revenue in farm equipment and improvements to the pickers' living conditions.

On land where there was nothing 20 years ago, facilities have now been built that are exceptionally well equipped compared with other farms in Tolima. And all of those facilities were created for the people involved in producing coffee.

＜A Message from Astrid Medina to Everyone in Japan＞

The story of Finca Buenavista and me is a journey of unwavering passion, a spirit of defiance, and dedication to quality. Choosing our coffee means not only enjoying Colombia's distinctive flavors but also supporting sustainable and innovative coffee farming. Fairfield, with whom our relationship began in the year I won the Cup of Excellence, remains my principal export partner, and I am proud of this strong relationship. From the moment the coffee flowers bloom to the cup that graces your table, I invite you to join us on this journey. I am deeply grateful for the indispensable role you play in our story.