Editorial illustration🇨🇴Colombia
Colombia · Tolima
Decaf Colombia El Vergel Co-Ferment
Onyx Coffee Lab
El Vergel Estate
Explore the profile →🇨🇴
El Vergel Estate
This is a research profile, not an independently conducted farm visit. Producer and coffee relationships are shown only when the records agree. Check the research sources below for supporting evidence.
TagsEl Vergel EstateColombiaCaturraCatimoreJavaPacamaraGeshaSidraColombia varietyWashedNaturalAnaerobicFermentation
The story
Founded in 1995 by the Bayter family as an avocado farm in Fresno, Tolima, the estate transitioned to coffee production between 2009 and 2010. This shift was initiated by the family matriarch, Marta Bayter, following a 2006 disease outbreak that devastated their avocado crops and caused market prices to plummet. Today, the farm is managed by brothers Elias and Shady Bayter, who have expanded the operation to include processing services for surrounding producers.
Challenges
The farm faced significant economic instability due to a 2006 disease that destroyed their primary avocado crop, forcing a pivot to coffee. Additionally, the family previously struggled with dropping coffee prices in a competitive market before adopting experimental processing to increase their value.
Innovations
El Vergel is recognized for its scientific approach to processing, including pioneering the use of Koji fermentation in Colombia and utilizing advanced aerobic and anaerobic fermentation techniques. They also manage over 28 varietals and have developed a model to assist 25 neighboring farms in improving their own processing and market access.
Published coffees linked to this farm
For blends, a farm may be named for one documented component without growing the entire coffee. These catalog relationships do not independently verify every lot, harvest or producer. See individual coffee profiles for traceability evidence.
Editorial illustrationResearch sources & verification
These source links were recorded for this farm profile. They document its research trail; a linked source is not, by itself, confirmation of every farm, producer, coffee lot or photo identity.
Research last reviewed: 2026-09-27