Colectivo - Mary Luz Ruiz

Mary Luz Ruiz grows coffee in the San Agustín region, in southern Huila, Colombia. Coming from a modest farming family, she grew up with a deep respect for the land and a quiet strength shaped by challenges. From a young age, she contributed to family tasks, working in the fields, carrying water on foot over long distances, and learning that perseverance is a form of resistance.

For several years, Mary Luz has dedicated herself to developing her farm, focusing on quality and sustainability. We have been purchasing coffee from the El Placer farm through Pastor Ordoñez since 2020, and it is with great pride that we present to you today, for the first time, a lot directly from Mary Luz's work. She is responsible for all stages of production: from maintaining the plants to selecting the cherries, through fermentation and drying.

Active in her community, Mary Luz also participates in the program Forest Rangers, which aims to protect local ecosystems and water sources. At 55 years old, she embodies the strength, resilience, and commitment of many rural women who shape, season after season, a better future.

Cherries are harvested every three weeks, after being left intact on the branches for two full weeks to ensure they are well ripened. Once picked, they remain in a cement funnel for 12 hours, then undergo a dry fermentation for 36 hours in tanks. The coffee is then washed, drained for an hour, and transferred to ELDA-type drying beds, where it dries slowly for 18 to 20 days.