El Vergel Decaf

Our Story

The story of El Vergel Farm began in 1995 when the Bayter family’s parents embarked on an agricultural venture in Colombia. With passion and dedication, they focused on avocado cultivation, eventually making El Vergel one of the country’s most productive avocado farms. However, in 2006, a devastating disease caused avocado prices to plummet, forcing the family to reconsider their future.
Between 2009 and 2010, Martha Bayter took a bold step toward diversification by introducing coffee cultivation to the farm. She planted varieties such as Catimor, Red Caturra, and Yellow Caturra, embracing the challenge of learning an entirely new crop while seeking to reduce costs and secure the farm’s sustainability.
As the family’s interest in coffee grew, they began exploring coffee processing methods, gaining hands-on experience in pulping and fermentation. Together with Nelson Moya, a coffee enthusiast who introduced them to specialized processing equipment, the Bayters immersed themselves in the world of specialty coffee. Their commitment led to the farm earning Rainforest certification through the prestigious Federación Nacional de Cafeteros between 2014 and 2015.
Their dedication soon began to bear fruit. In 2016, the family met Miguel Jimenez, a specialist in coffee varieties and specialty coffee production. Under his guidance, El Vergel planted renowned varieties including Geisha, Java, Pacamara, Red Bourbon, and Laurina. The first harvests of these exceptional coffees were produced in 2017, marking a significant milestone in the farm’s development.
As the years progressed, El Vergel continued to modernize. In 2018, the farm implemented advanced natural processing methods, including aerobic and anaerobic fermentations, and invested in silos for coffee storage. These innovations positioned El Vergel at the forefront of quality-focused coffee production.
Today, the Bayter family conducts extensive research into bacteria and yeast management to better control fermentation, continuously experimenting with new processing techniques and pushing the boundaries of coffee excellence.
El Vergel now cultivates more than 28 coffee varieties across its lands and is recognized as the first coffee farm in Colombia to develop the Koji fermentation process — a groundbreaking innovation that has transformed the way green coffee is produced and processed.