I Bought a Mini-Coffee Finca in Colombia

I have been beyond stressed this week as I was knee-deep in paperwork and figuring out how to buy a house in Colombia. You probably know that I have been on the search for land for the past three years.

I have been looking a bit around Jericó and other areas in Antioquia, but the overall theme of my search was expensive! I have also looked at different regions.

Well, every region I have been in has had a major deterrent. In December, I looked at a farm and loved it; it was a perfect size, but I did not like the town.

It was one of the ugliest pueblos I have ever visited! Sorry, Amagá!

Yet I thought, who cares what the city is like? I will have my space, and that won’t affect me.

Then I moved to Jericó and realized the importance of having a town with high-quality restaurants, amazing coffee shops, and an overall beautiful place. Plus, every few months, they have a festival in town, a kite festival, a music festival, a book festival, a coffee festival, and more!

So then I began searching all over Jericó and found a few places I liked, but they all had something I did not like.

For example, I looked at a cute little Finca, but the problem was that it had no road access and was far from town—probably a 30-minute drive to Jericó.

I like living far away but had to be realistic at some point, and I do not drive!

Plus, if there is no road access to the house, how would I bring things like a fridge or groceries?

Yes, this is still transportation here; the author took the photo last week!

I know many people live high in the mountains and use mules to get their goods up the hill, but I did not want to do that. I needed something easily accessible, preferably a spot to park a motorcycle. Since I have one, I still need to learn to drive and get a license.

The search slowed when the school's owners decided to buy the property. I was told I could convert an old shed into a home. Since they would own the property, I could stay as long as I wanted—perfect.

I thought I had a permanent solution. Two months later, they realized they could not buy the land because of some issues the seller had. He could not sell the property as it was in trust for his children.

This was fine because the school could still rent the land, but they decided to close. However, before they decided to close, I did look at a farm for sale by one of the guys who would come to the school and offer lessons.

He had a small coffee farm about 1.5 miles outside of the pueblo. It is on the other side of town, so one day, a friend and I went to check it out.

I liked the farm, but I thought, why buy when I could stay on the school’s land since I was working here also, and staying was easier. I also had reservations about the farm.

It was a coffee farm. I know nothing about coffee farming, and if you know anything about coffee, you already know the next sentence: it’s on a hill.

Coffee plants love to grow on a hill.

The land has flat and hilly parts, and it already has a built-in food forest with room for bees and chickens — the only two things I want immediately.

When I was looking, I said, “Well, I like the farm and would love to buy it, but why when I can live almost for free at the school?” Plus, I paid to fix up the little house. It was not much, but still, money.

Where am I going with this?

Last night, I prayed for a solution. There is no solution as of yet, but the winds have changed. The direction of my life is shifting. I again have to find a new place to live.

So why not look at the little farm again if it’s still for sale?

Since I liked it, I decided to have another look and see it from a different perspective, living there.

I went around; it is 1.5 acres, at the top of my budget, but the lowest-priced property I have seen in Jericó. At this point, I knew if I could find something in my budget in this area, I would be in luck.

Jericó is a heritage town, one of Colombia's most beautiful pueblos, and there are only 17.

It is also one of the wealthiest towns in Antioquia, which is very important when you are looking to own, especially in Colombia. They are also fixing the road from Medellin to Jericó, increasing tourism.

This little pueblo has always been a haven against violence, even during the civil war and narco days. Jericó was not affected because of the residents’ money; they paid for the protection of this area, and when other towns were being displaced, the residents here remained.

A huge factor in my decision to buy, because let’s be honest, it is Colombia, a country with a history of violence. It is better now, but the risk remains.

I could say this about a lot of countries.

I know I was being picky, and I did not want to live in a town with a horrible past. I lived in San Carlos before and almost bought, but the town is ugly, and it once was the epicenter of murders; the energy and trauma in the city are palpable.

Here, the energy is much healthier; it is a religious pilgrimage town. I am not religious, but when people come to pray, the energy is not as heavy.

I believe in faith, not one specific god or religion, but a higher power.

So, after seeing the Finca two more times, I knew I would buy it.

It has coffee, plantains, bananas, avocados, oranges, lemons, and two small cocoa trees. It is also a working coffee farm, so I can sell the coffee in town for income.

The farm also has Guadua trees. Guadua is the cousin of bamboo; it grows fast and can be used for building.

Part of the Guadua forest.. if you keep walking up to the right of the photo, there is a river, and it seems you are in the jungle! Photo by the seller.

The farm also has a spring and a small river surrounding it. The water is clean and can be used in the house. In the photo above, the gray little house is the spring!

The owner did not use pesticides or harmful chemicals; a Bokashi compost has already been started.

Unfortunately, it is rare to find a farm where the owner did not spray his trees with poison. However, more young farmers are realizing the importance of pesticide-free farming.

It is on the top of a hill, and like I said, it has a steep slope for the coffee, but there is a section that looks like a jungle, which is my favorite part of the farm.

The house needs work, but as my friend said, it’s perfect for you; it’s a fixer-upper, and that it is. Yet the wraparound porch that overlooks the mountains is what sold me. I wanted a house with a view, and every time I visited the house, I would stand there and feel the peace surrounding the area.

So, yeah, I am officially a homeowner of a small coffee farm in Colombia. I am most excited to sit on the porch, and I am sure Baki will love running in the river!

Now, I must learn to process coffee and pick a name for my finquita!

I move on Saturday! I have included pictures from the listing, but once I move in, I will share more!

As they say in Colombia ¨¡Gracias a dios!¨.

XOXO

S