A STORY ABOUT COFFEE

Photographic documentation at an altitude of 1,100 meters above sea level, where coffee plants grow surrounded by fruit trees, mountains and forests.

This story begins in Coatepec, Veracruz; one of the most traditional coffee producing areas in Mexico. It is here, at 1,100 meters above sea level, where coffee plants grow surrounded by banana, orange, macadamia and tamarind trees. It is here, where after the fall of prices in the 80's, today a differentiated and specialty coffee is being produced, mainly by young producers who seek to renew processes and change the way of doing business with the coffee of their families.

It is in this context that I resumed, after many years, my friendship with Gustavo; starting almost immediately, a process of continuous learning and amazement of more than five years; it was clear that the story of this trip would be told with images.

Gustavo Ramírez Moreno is a member of a family that grows, markets, cooks and bakes coffee. Father of Gus and Nico, my friend is a man who is passionate about what he does, someone who likes to share with the people around him. I have been fortunate to travel through this fascinating world through him and his family's stories, to educate my eyes to recognize details and key characters of this culture, as well as the colors, textures, aromas and landscapes characteristic of this region of Mexico.

The coffee is grown and harvested at La Roca farm, in the Beneficio de Pacho Viejo; the coffee is washed, pulped, dried, selected and roasted. It is in these spaces where I learned together with Gustavo and Ezequiel, his father, about processes and types of cultivation, preparation and care of the land, planting and flowering times, cherry cutting, drying in the shade, light and dark roasting, and other roasts (laughter in complicity). It is these aspects and the people involved, who make all this possible; my amazement, the photographs, this text, and the cup of coffee you are probably drinking right now.

From the farm to the mill, from there to the cafeteria, and then, making shipments and attending exhibitions, participating in Taza de Excelencia and being among the international finalists; this is how, in short, one can summarize the brief path along which I have accompanied Gustavo and his family by the hand of my camera and my notebook; documenting, participating and learning.

This story about coffee is unique because it portrays the spaces, people and processes, just as they were presented to me; because it records an essential part of the life of my friend and his family, and because it simply happened to me and transformed the way I live or conceive the experience of drinking coffee. This story exists thanks to the passion of the Ramírez Moreno family, I simply got to take photos… and drink coffee.