Colombia | El Mirador | Castillo | Washed

Region: Los Olivos, Palestina, Huila 

Elevation: 1800 masl 

About: For the past 30 years, Octavio Rueda Ramírez has built his life around coffee. After his parents were forced to sell their land due to debt, he began working as a coffee picker from a young age, travelling wherever work was available. Even then, he carried a clear goal: to save enough money to one day buy a farm of his own. 

Rather than saving cash, Octavio invested in cattle, keeping cows on his uncle’s property and slowly building enough value to secure his land. Eventually, ten cows became the foundation of the payment for the farm he now manages with his wife. Together, they expanded the existing coffee plantings and continued developing the property with a focus on Castillo and Red Bourbon varieties. 

Today, coffee remains central to the family’s life. It has provided stability, supported their household, and made it possible to build something of their own through decades of steady work.