Colombia Bella Vista

Jonathan Gasca is a young traditional coffee farmer, born in the department with the highest coffee production in Colombia, Pitalito, located in Huila, in southern Colombia.

“I was born in a coffee plantation” says Jonathan. My grandparents and my parents were always dedicated to coffee farming and although I must thank them for this passion, the truth is that they planted, harvested and sold coffee to those who paid the most, they were dedicated to producing quantity, but not quality, this was the way to have a permanent economic income.

 As a child, Jonathan wanted to be a soccer player and together with his brother Johan they traveled to Cali to train in a professional team, Deportivo Cali, where things were not going very well. With time, they began to feel alone and their mother had to send them money in order to support them, since things did not go as they wanted. They got frustrated because of it and decided to return home.

 His mother insisted that he should study, she opted for radiology in Bogota, but Jonathan did not share this idea at all, however he would take advantage of the opportunity to study and that is how he applied to be a technologist in ecological agricultural and livestock production, knowing that with this he would have more field and possibilities on the farm.

 By 2008, the subject of specialized coffee was something new, and together with his uncle and brother, they began to carry out the first tests of planting special coffee in a plot that their father had given them.

The first coffee he brought out was a Honey, he enthusiastically took it to the SKM cooperative, which was where they paid him the best, but unfortunately, they rejected it because of the appearance of the coffee. "There was no trade for coffee," says Jonathan, who was very frustrated because his family did not share his same claims to quality coffee. 

Determined to undertake with specialty coffees, he continues to experiment and learn, he is interested in really knowing what he sells. In addition, the Lasso family is greatly motivated by their friends, well known for their excellent specialty coffees, who have been an example for Jonathan to follow and he is excited to be able to reach that level with his coffees.

Jonathan and Johan (their brother and partner) dream of worldwide recognition, not only because of the money, but because they are proud to continue their family tradition and raise the good name of the product that has given them everything in life- coffee.