Aloof - Producer Info Marleyi

Marleyi’s story is one of persistence against all odds. Her family migrated from Cauca to San Agustín when she was a child, but early attempts at coffee failed due to the farm’s cold, high-altitude climate. At just seven years old, Marleyi’s childhood was shaped by hardship, and by her teenage years, she had left school to find work in nearby cities.

In 2018, a family tragedy brought her back: her brother passed away suddenly, and soon after, her father abandoned the farm. With her mother, Marleyi took over full responsibility for running El Diviso, something still uncommon for women in Colombia. To survive, Marleyi turned to the practice of “jornal al cambio”, which involves working one day on other farms and then returning to her own farm to work the next.

Despite the difficulties, Marleyi fought to grow the farm. She negotiated for another hectare, planted the Tabi variety, and began investing in specialty coffee, inspired and supported by her friend Jhon Jairo Gomez. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to refine her processing, expand her facilities, and plant new Pink Bourbon trees.

Today, Marleyi is not only producing beautiful coffees like this El-Diviso Tabi micro-lot, but also claiming her space in the specialty market, a remarkable achievement in light of everything she’s faced.