Ecuador, Cruz Roma Farm, Geisha

Finca Cruz Loma is a farm located in San José de Minas, Quito Canton, Pichincha Province, Ecuador. The farm is run by Galo Fernando Morales Flores, along with his wife, Maria Alexandra Rivera, his sister, Grace Morales, and other family members. The Cruz Roma Farm spans approximately 350 hectares and has been owned by Galo’s family for about 80 years. He and his four brothers inherited the land from their grandparents and continue to own it today. The farm is located at an elevation of 1,450 meters, and the approximately 6-hectare coffee-growing area cultivates varieties such as Typica Mejorado, Sidra, Caturra, Tabi, and Geisha. In addition to coffee, the farm also grows corn, legumes, guanabana (soursop), and citrus fruits. Garo began working on the farm with his mother and later worked as a project manager and exporter. He eventually returned to full-time farming, and today the entire family—including his wife and children—is involved in coffee production and sales. When he first started growing coffee, he planted about 8 hectares of coffee fields; however, due to a lack of experience, poor management, and the fact that family members had other full-time jobs, he lost many of his plots, and in the end, only about 2 hectares remained. However, the coffee from those remaining plots received high marks in various competitions, clearly demonstrating its high quality. This prompted the family to reevaluate their farm management strategy and decide to focus fully on coffee production. Initially, Galo took the lead in managing the farm, but through a process of trial and error, his sister Grace—an agricultural scientist—also joined the farm’s operations. Currently, Garo is in charge of cultivation techniques and quality control, applying the experience he has gained in the coffee industry to the farm’s management. Meanwhile, Grace continues to focus primarily on corn cultivation while also overseeing coffee production as the farm manager. She plays a particularly important role in nutrient design and fertilization planning, focusing not only on yield but also on ensuring uniform ripening of the coffee cherries. These efforts have improved harvesting efficiency and led to more consistent cup quality. The farm is also committed to sustainable farming practices that utilize organic fertilizers. In recent years, the Cruz Roma Farm has been highly acclaimed for its quality. In 2019, it won first place in the Pichincha Regional Quality Contest, and in 2020, it placed third in the Taza Dorada competition. Since then, the farm has won numerous awards, earning high acclaim in the Ecuadorian domestic market and gaining recognition among tourists. It has also garnered attention as a producer whose coffee is used in Ecuador’s barista competitions. Harvesting primarily takes place from June to September, though the family continues harvesting until around December. Because Ecuador is located directly on the equator, it maintains a relatively stable growing environment year-round; a distinctive feature is that, during much of the year, ripe cherries and blooming flowers can be seen simultaneously on the same branch. This coffee was roasted by DongHyun Kim, the champion of the Korea Coffee Roasting Championship 2026.