Applied Science: About Project Pijao

 

 

Tucked away in the land of magical realism, Pijao (Pee-how) is the embodiment of a cafe cultura which lives, breathes and dreams of our most beloved beverage -- coffee. The early morning drum of hoofbeats breathes first life into the village as cafeteros are whisked off to fincas where coffee farming is seen not only as a mode of subsistence but as a genuine art form. Perfectly situated within Colombia's famed Eje Cafetero (Coffee Axis), the high altitude, rich terroir and breathtaking biodiversity provide the backdrop for producing specialty coffees to rival the finest to be found anywhere in the world.

 

Born of a passion for coffee and for those who safeguard its legacy, it was within this beautifully preserved colonial mountain town that Project Pijao first took root.  As global warming and outdated farming practices threaten an uncertain future for coffee, our aim at Project Pijao is to develop a socially and environmentally conscientious model of coffee cultivation with the understanding that the special attention paid to the health of our soils directly translates to the tasting notes in your favorite beverage.

 

At our family farm, El Tesorito, we embrace regenerative agriculture as a promising model to restore soil health and productivity, avoid the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and promote the sequestration of greenhouse gases (in the form of carbon) back to where they belong -- in the ground.  In collaboration with our friends and fellow cafeteros, we have been diligently implementing processes and educating the local public on a wide variety of regenerative agricultural projects adapted to local conditions which can be readily and economically adopted en masse.

 

From the bioreactors used to produce organic compost, to our systems that generate ‘compost tea’ and the nursery where our heirloom coffee varietals are raised, rest assured that when you sip a cup of Project Pijao, not only do you partake in one of life's most important shared sensory experiences but you are also partnering in a carbon-conscious coffee movement.  From our farm to your cup, we could not be more excited to share this tasting experience with you!