Lost Traditions.org

I'll Buy You A Coffee

And it will be the best coffee you have ever enjoyed and at a nice location.

Coffee Business in Colombia

Enjoying high quality coffee

Once you have had a real cup of coffee 'espresso' brewed from freshly roasted quality beans, grown on small family specialty farms, which are located at high altitude in Colombia, you will soon understand there is no second best.



There is no need to add milk, sugar or anything else, to try and make it taste like the real thing.

Single origin - Coffee regions: Tolima, Huíla or Caldas.

Ecotourism

Visiting local and small authentic independent businesses, to put the soul back into communities.

I’ll share my journey and why I’m helping people like you navigate the real economy of working together, and exchanging ideas, skills, knowledge, and storytelling. I’m so excited about the opportunity of investing in ourselves, using our creativity, learning from our mistakes and the possibilities of where we could be in a few years - Being on the right path. 

Continues below...

Colombian Coffee

Artisan Coffee Roasted in Oxford

The very best coffee, that supports small Colombian farmers, with Fair Trade conditions to ensure the coffee is sustainable and ethical.

The story:

Martin, the founder of Lost Traditions, has spent a beautiful time travelling and visiting small coffee growers across Colombia, in search of the very best coffee and meeting the farmers high up in the Andes.



The coffee comes as a green bean direct from the farmers and is roasted in Oxford to maintain the freshness and flavour.

Away from the fast-paced life up in the Colombian Andes region of the Coffee departments of Tolima & Calders.

Calders is also famous for its rum.

Great views and a beautiful experience, especially staying with a family.

I learnt about washing and drying coffee beans, before being sent to market. Sunday was the time to head down to the small town of Rovira, to exchange produce and stop at the cantina for Una fria 'Cold beer' and meet the country people. Buy some local cheese and other foods that are not grown on the finca.

Coffee is grown at:

1000m - is poor quality. Normally harvested twice a year

1300 to 1700 m - normal coffee. Normally harvested twice a year

1800 to 2000 m - high quality, more concentrated and organic as no herbicides are required - the coffee "bean" is also smaller and takes 3 months more to grow before it is ready to be picked.

The cherries are floated to separate any defective or unripe fruit. Ripe cherries sink, while the unripe or defective ones float and are removed.

Next, the cherries' outer skin is removed by the depulping machine. What's left is mucilage, a sticky, sugary layer covering the coffee seed.

The coffee seeds (or beans) are now fermented for anywhere from several hours to a few days. This step breaks down the mucilage and imparts flavours that reach the final cup.

After fermentation, the coffee is washed to remove any remaining mucilage, and then it is taken to the patio where the washed beans are spread out in thin layers and regularly turned until they are dry.

The beans are taken from the finca to the nearest village or small town, in some cases by donkey or 4x4 trucks before being transported to the port for exporting.

This is just part of the entire process required to produce specialty coffee, which in most places is done almost entirely by hand, from planting coffee trees and caring for them to harvesting and processing in the mill.

Typically the coffee farm is self-sufficient and grows plantains, yuca and avocados. Also there are chickens and pigs. The farmer will often take a journey to the nearest town to buy / sell / exchange products.

Read: Travel Guide | Around Ibague Tolima   

Adopt a coffee tree and help local farmers

Adopt, support & enjoy:

When serving your favourite Colombian coffee to your friends, you can show them where the coffee came from and explain you have your own coffee tree in the same coffee plantation from what they are drinking. 

Showing the location on a map, of your coffee tree and the small family farm, high up in the Andes.   

For each purchase we will plant, protect, and care for a tree at your chosen family farm in Colombia and send you 500g of coffee beans to an address of your choice in the UK.

This is a chance for us to work together by making a difference and contributing back in a sustainable way. 

Most Colombian coffee growers live in fincas whose coffee cultivation's plots do not surpass 2 hectares (5 acres) on average.

Colombia's main environmental problems are soil erosion, deforestation, and the preservation of its wildlife. Soil erosion has resulted from the loss of vegetation and heavy rainfall, and the soil has also been damaged by overuse of pesticides



Typical road - Walking back to the finca, after visiting family at a nearby finca

Location - Buena Vista. Between Rovira and Valley de San Juan Torlima

Get Inspired and live your life.

Consuming is a powerful drug. So is sugar and alcohol. When we consume items that give us pleasure we sometimes become hooked, addicted even, feeding our lower self, our vibration and frequency. The same may apply with wealth, fame and fortune.

On the other hand, we can make do and mend -  A satisfying experience, where you see value in your things, and have pride in taking care of your gear.

The intention behind these desires of consuming is what is really important. It satisfies for a short time only, and you don't see the value in it anymore. By taking a step back we can have the time to reflect on where we want to be. Do we really need convincing to buy the latest model/gadget, will it help us? I think it takes us further away from being our true self. 

I am not going to tell you how to get rich quickly. If you want to double your money on the other hand, fold it in half and put it back in your pocket! We can help each other to get on the right path and start taking action - Serve others and contribute back to society.

Travelling the world you meet the most incredible people, who do not want to profit from you and are willing to share what they have. In the West, people consume and don’t want to share. 

Travel further and meet indigenous people who have been mistreated and had their land stolen. Yet, they share compassion for you and give their time to talk and help. 

Their cultures truly understand how to live and love life, they also understand the people living in the West, have a void inside them ‘lost soul’ and are constantly searching for something to fill their void. This can mean consuming, greed, selfish and chasing money. 

What we are searching for, we already have, but we can't see it. We have not been shown by our parents or our culture… We have been manipulated and convinced that consuming is going to make us happy. While the meaning of life is peace, joy and happiness - We are here for the universe to teach us - Time to listen from the inside and not what the outside world is convincing you. 

You may like to Read: More interesting Post on Colombia.

Meetup - Spending time in the great outdoors not only takes away the stress, but opens new doors to amazing experiences.

You are in good company. Get away from deadlines and distractions and come join us for a ride or walk...

If you like more information or If you're lacking in any life skills or wish to share your knowledge, consider joining us on a mini adventure; from a small walk, build a fire to make a cupper, local experiences, cooking, to a 3-day hike, tailored to all abilities. Then sign up to our Newsletter

May your Boots & Tyres make happy tracks... Stay Wild and search out those small independent coffee shops that sell the real thing - Be true to yourself, and keep going, reaching your goals.

The coffee is on me.