Article and Photos by our Volunteers

While I write this article lying on a hammock attached to a bamboo platform facing the most spectacular view of the Colombian Highlands, I cannot help but think about how kind life can be at times and in the same moment, I  remember how clueless and ignorant I was back at home when I was simply mixing a pack of instant coffee with hot water. Being here makes you realize how much history a single bean of coffee has; the amount of blood and sweat that goes into its preparation and the mind-boggling beauty of the lands that it is grown upon.

I found Tío Conejo through Workaway, which is a platform that helps travelers like us find work with a local enterprise or family, asking us to use our time and energies in order to carry out daily tasks and help with innovative ideas; and in return offers us accommodation and meals with the same project. We came here to share our skills and time with the families that work on these fields; only when I arrived I realized that there was not much of an exchange that was taking place. Working in Tío Conejo, the volunteers only receive; we temporarily get to call a place home that tourists would gladly pay hundreds of dollars to just visit, we receive knowledge that maybe even a university education couldn’t provide, we receive experience from techniques that people spend half of their lives perfecting and we temporarily feel a part of something that has been evolving for thousands of years. 

Since the first moment we stepped into this beautiful and massive farm and coffee plantation, we felt right at home. We were welcomed with open arms by the Tío Conejo family and instantly felt the warmth and kindness that resonates within each of its member.

We were shown around the farm that seemed like an endless mass of green pulled out of a fairytale with coffee plants and fruit bearing trees as far as the eye could see. 

With seven full sized wooden houses, this farm houses many families of workers and still leaves space for the owners and the tourists that frequent the place. There seems to be a machine-like consistency and interdependence among the inhabitants of the farm and its grounds where each party replenishes as much as it takes from the other; in place of the harvested crops new ones are planted, the soil regains its fertility thanks to the tireless and ingenious recycling processes of the workers, the workers’ drained energies are replenished by the natural beauty and the fresh produce that the lands bear around them. 

Wilson and his son, Steven showing us the ropes on our first day

Angela giving us a tour of the farm accompanied
by the resident hounds

The hosts Ivanov and Angela showed us around the farm and explained the very intricate process of growing and harvesting coffee. One could not imagine the complexity of the process behind the coffee we receive in our cups. Ranging from the fertility of the soil and the surrounding environment to the infallible techniques of the workers, there are several countless and miniscule factors that go into the process of preparing this product.

Our work was pleasant and not too taxing; we would spend a few hours working with the farmers in the fields picking fresh coffee from the plants, after which we would assist Don Eluises (the oldest member of the family of farmers) and John in separating and classifying the grains. Our work on the coffee, per se, would end with us all depositing the fresh picks into a machine that would refine the fruit like commodity into beans that were ready for the process of drying and roasting. The work was illuminating to say the least that left us feeling proud and peaceful towards the end of the day having played a part in the process of creating coffee.

Johana's most delicious and authentic Colombian dishes

After the farm work, we would retire into the house and would often give English lessons to our very sweet and culinar-ily gifted host, Johana. All in all, our hours of work every day never felt like ‘work’ and it was always a pleasure to spend time at the farm and the house. 

We would retire for the day with the sunset and would always have time for reading, watching television, conversing with each other and the family or simply lying in the hammocks petting the two mischievous hounds of Tío Conejo, Café and Panela.

I cannot emphasize enough about how amazing it was to spend time with this family and meet such inspiring and good-natured people. Ivanov and Angela, 10 year ago, decided to relinquish their structured and comfortable life in the United States and moved back to their roots, to Colombia and dedicated their lives to giving back to the country that had been so kind to them. They, along with their parents, began this wonderful project in Manizales and have never been happier.

We truly loved our time at this place and have come out feeling inspired to only ‘settle for’ a life-path that we absolutely love and are truly passionate about. We thank the Tío Conejo family for their hospitality and patience with us, and most of all, for an experience of a lifetime.

Can’t wait to be back!

Written By: Rohan Wadhwa

Photos By: Jasmine Andematten