Story

Back in the 1970s, running “Finca Los Nogales” was anything but easy. It was relentless, hard work with very little reward… And Doña Suldery and Don Ricaurte had eight children to feed. Even though Don Ricaurte poured his heart and soul into the land, he told his children to build a life far away from the farm. He believed coffee farming had no future, and while part of him hoped one of his children would eventually carry on his legacy, he knew that would mean taking on the same heavy burden.
 

Despite those hard years, Don Ricaurte made history in 2005. He won Colombia’s first-ever Cup of Excellence. A moment that put Bruselas, Pitalito on the world map of specialty coffee.

Then, in 2013, everything changed when Don Ricaurte’s life was tragically taken. The family was left with deep grief and a heavy choice: sell the farm, or find a way to keep going.

Finding a way forward wasn't simple. Since everyone had chosen different career paths, no one had experience running a coffee farm.

Oscar, the youngest son, was serving in the Colombian Navy at the time. Driven by a deep need to protect his father’s legacy, he quit his job and returned home. Taking what he learned in the Navy and his background in agricultural studies, Oscar began learning everything else from scratch.
 

Together with a small part of the family, they decided to give Nogales a second chance, and Nogales gave the family a second chance.

Over the past 10 years, the Nogales farm grew from just 2 hectares to 27. They planted new varieties, refined fermentation methods, built complete processing infrastructure, bought another farm called Nakura and established direct, long-term partnerships with roasters and importers worldwide.