Meet Paola & Carlos Trujillo: Coffee Producers in Cauca, Colombia

When Paola Trujillo took an eight-hour bus ride each way just to spend an evening cupping coffee with us in 2024, we knew we'd found someone special. Her commitment to sharing her work, her willingness to receive feedback, and the pride she took in presenting over 30 different coffees from Finca Patio Bonito revealed everything we value in a producer relationship, someone who sees coffee as both craft and connection.

Family Roots and Shared Knowledge

Carlos Arturo Trujillo has been growing coffee for nearly 50 years in Caldono, Cauca. "It has been a long road, but in the end, it is very satisfactory," he reflects on his decades of dedication to the land. His approach to farming is grounded in three core principles that shape everything at Patio Bonito: food security, soil conservation and management, and coffee cultivation.

Paola, his daughter, initially pursued chemical engineering before choosing to return to the family farm. After spending years working as a cupper and buyer for export companies in Nariño and Huila, she came back to Patio Bonito in 2022 with fresh perspective and technical expertise. Her mother, Maria Angela, taught her the value of sharing knowledge, while Carlos gave her the opportunity to work on the coffee project, creating a true multi-generational operation.

The family dynamic at Patio Bonito is one of complementary strengths. While Carlos focuses on sustainable agricultural practices developed over his decades of experience, Paola spearheads fermentation and processing innovations. Patricia, Paola's sister, also plays a vital role as the family continues to build on their legacy together.

Innovation Through Experience

Finca Patio Bonito spans 11 hectares, with 9 hectares dedicated to coffee cultivation. Those 9 hectares hold 47,000 coffee trees across 13 different varieties, including Castillo, Colombia, Pink Bourbon, Gesha, Typica, SL-28, Red Bourbon, Java, Bourbon Aji, Sidra, Pacamara, Laurina, and Wush Wush. This diversity isn't just for show, it reflects the family's commitment to understanding each variety's unique potential.

Paola has innovated their processing methods significantly since returning to the farm, introducing techniques like "thermal shock" and anaerobic modulations to their washed and natural processes. Her background in chemical engineering combined with her years of experience as a quality control professional allows her to approach processing with both scientific precision and intuitive understanding.

Every step is executed with meticulous attention, from handpicking at peak ripeness to floating and hand-sorting cherries, to carefully controlled fermentation periods. This dedication to detail has earned Paola recognition among exporters, with one noting her as their favorite Colombian producer "because of how fun and exciting Paola keeps washed coffees."

Our Time Together

Meeting Paola at the newly setup cupping room at Genesis Coffee during our 2024 Colombian farm tour was unforgettable. Though we didn't visit her farm directly, she made the extraordinary effort to travel 16 hours round-trip by bus just to cup with us. We spent the evening tasting through more than 30 of her coffees, discussing the specific process behind each one, understanding what made them unique.

What struck us most was her genuine interest in our feedback. Having judged Cup of Excellence competitions in previous years, we could offer perspectives that seemed to mean a great deal to her. The conversation flowed naturally between technical details and personal stories, between professional assessment and friendly connection. It was one of those evenings that reminds you why direct trade relationships matter, not just for quality, but for the human connections they foster.

Building Tomorrow's Coffee Community

The Trujillo family's mission extends beyond their own farm. They aim "to provide alternatives and training to farmers and students on the management, conservation, and exploration of natural resources and the environment." Paola actively trains the next generation of coffee farmers, fostering passion for the industry and helping maintain the regional coffee legacy.

She provides courses and training at the farm for young people, spreading her family's knowledge and helping them maintain their own families' coffee legacies. This commitment to education isn't just about technical skills, it's about preserving and evolving coffee culture in Cauca, ensuring that the knowledge accumulated over generations continues to grow and adapt.

Through her work, Paola has achieved financial independence through coffee cultivation, demonstrating to other young producers, especially women, that coffee can provide both a sustainable livelihood and a platform for innovation. Her journey from chemical engineering student to export company cupper to innovative producer shows the many paths one can take within coffee while still honoring family traditions.

A Partnership Grounded in Respect

What makes our relationship with the Trujillo family special isn't just the exceptional coffee they produce, though their meticulous attention to every stage of cultivation and processing certainly shows in the cup. It's their openness to dialogue, their commitment to continuous improvement, and their genuine warmth that makes working with them feel less like business and more like friendship.

When someone travels eight hours each way just to share their work with you, when they welcome feedback with enthusiasm rather than defensiveness, when they balance decades of tradition with constant innovation, you know you've found partners who share your values. The Trujillos represent what we love most about specialty coffee: the intersection of craft, science, community, and human connection.

Carlos and Paola Trujillo aren't just growing coffee at Patio Bonito, they're cultivating relationships, nurturing knowledge, and building a future where quality and community grow together. Every time we cup their coffees, we're reminded of that evening in Colombia, of Paola's dedication, and of the privilege it is to share their work with you.