It isn’t unusual to name your farm after a person. But there’s something a little bit unusual about Don Carlos Farm, which is part of the Agricafe organization run by Pedro Rodriguez (see Dear Grower #008). You’d probably think that “Carlos” is the name of a dear relative or famous person. Well, you’d be wrong. “Carlos” is the name of Agricafe’s longest-serving staff member. Pedro started out as a coffee exporter, but the markets weren’t very strong. With export volumes dropping, Pedro gave himself a mission: he was going to help Bolivian coffee develop a stronger international presence. How? He opened up a farm in Caranavi and made the switch to production himself. Standing by Pedro’s side the whole way, going through all the ups and downs of launching a new farm together, was Carlos Mariaca. Having worked as a driver transporting coffee from place to place in the Caranavi area, Carlos knew everything there was to know about the local coffee community—and that made him a vital go-between for newcomers lik

Carlos did a lot more than just put Pedro in touch with people, though. He gave Pedro pointers on good spots to build the farm, helped plow the soil and plant the trees, built processing facilities, recruited workers—the list goes on and on. Carlos had a hand in pretty much everything that got Agricafe up and running. Now, he spends his time running several individual farms in the organization, passing on his knowledge to small-scale growers through training programs, and more. Agricafe wouldn’t be what it is without Carlos. He’s Pedro’s right-hand man.

Carlos is there every time I pay Agricafe a visit, too, his leadership on display as he goes from task to task in a flurry of hard work. But I’ve never, ever seen him look tired—he looks like he’s genuinely loving every minute of it. I saw him drinking coffee once during a break from work, and I’ll always remember the glow of satisfaction filling face. With that kind of personality, it’s no surprise that buyers from around the world put a lot of trust in Carlos. I, for one, never forget to bring Carlos a gift whenever I head to Agricafe.

It’s easy to see why Pedro decided to name Don Carlos Farm after his right-hand man. He did it as a sign of respect for and trust in Carlos, whom he also put in charge of the farm’s operations. Carlos has taken that show of faith to heart—in addition to helping Pedro with his work, Carlos strives day in and day out to make sure that the coffee with his name on it is top-notch quality. It always tastes great; it’s obvious that Carlos is thorough in everything he does. There was one year that the coffee from Don Carlos Farm was just astounding, and that memory has stayed with me. Just hearing the Don Carlos name is enough to get my taste buds excited—and Carlos’s beans never disappoint. I can’t wait to have another cup of his coffee this year.