New Cacao Plantation

July 11^th, 2022. Today we have great news! After exactly one year our first crop of banana is being collected.  Rafael and Liuba are ecstatic happy and they feel proud, with good reason, to see the product of a year of hard work, dedication and extra love is certainly a reason to celebrate.

They want to say thank you to everyone involved in this process: To our sponsors for they trust and for financially backing the project, to our neighbor for guiding us with technical advice, to Truffelinos for facilitating this process, to our family for the lending us the lot in which we are working and to the Federación Colombiana de Cacaoteros for their technical assistance. And last but not least to nature itself for providing the sun, the water and the soil much needed for our production.

In the pictures you can see the very first banana bunch.

Every Saturday the siblings go to a farmers market in nearby Fusagasuga to sale their produce. The income from this banana means an extra benefit for the family from the project and will also provide part of the founding to sustain the cacao production.

Cacao trees are also growing strong and healthy. Back in March 2022, we planted the first trees and in this set of pictures we can witness how big they are now, between 50 and 90 cm tall.

Liuba is standing by three different trees. They do not all grow at the same rate, but we are getting closer to the day we can graft them with the selected variety of cacao, that at end end will be the producing one.

Trees on the field are organized in a grid format. Each groove is noted with a number and each tree has a letter. This is done so during the process the production and health of each tree is traceable and easy to control. So in the pictures to the right we can see L1-2A, L1 – 3A and L1 – 4B.

Rafael is very proud cutting down the first bananas.

Following the instructions we have received from the National Cocoa Federation and the results of the soil studies carried out at the beginning of the project, it is important to supply the soil with the necessary nutrients to guarantee an excellent and productive harvest. Rafael shows us how that process is done.

Friday March 18 2022 will be remembered as a milestone in the history of Truffelinos. Once again we visited the farm in Arbeláez, but this time with a very important objective. After more than 43 years in the business of artisan chocolate making we have the opportunity of actually planting our very own cacao trees. And we did so with the companionship of one of our sponsors.

This was possible thanks to the hard work of Liuba and Rafael, and also to the wise advice of Mr. Roberto Vargas from our neighboring cacao grower «Cámbulos y Gualandayes».

It was an intense day of hard work. We planted the first 6 trees out of a goal of 1.000. Hopefuly they will grow strong and healthy and if the conditions are right, we should all be enjoying the result, in the form of chocolate, in 2024.

«A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step» or in our case a forest of a thousand trees begins with the first tree and It was Rafael how showed how the planting is done.

On that particular day we were lucky, as the weather was sunny yet fresh and nice.

We had to add some organic fertilizer as recommended by the technicians.

It is a quite nice feeling to realize how food is actually produced. More often than not we tend to think that all that we eat actually grows in the supermarket shelf. Even thou, of course, we know this is not the case; we tend to take for granted what happens on the fields. So it is nice to experience, even for a short moment, what really goes on before food gets to the table.

We want to take this opportunity to thank our neighbor, mr. Roberto Vargaz, who has been acting as a technical coach for our project, sharing all his knowledge with us and guiding us in the correct development of each stage of the crop.

In this video he gives us some observations and tips

The small cocoa trees are growing strong and healthy in our greenhouse nursery. Rafael shows us how he takes some measurements to ensure that everything is going very well.

We are waiting with great expectation the day when sowing can be done.

On this entry of the journal the show us, and yes, teach us the importance of keeping the banana healthy if we want to have good shade for the cacao. On the other hand Liuba explains what we are trying to achieve by also planting beans.

However, it is noteworthy to see how biodiversity also plays a role. On this video you will see a couple of birds, also being part of the whole ecosystem.

As the New Year begins the works at La Querencia never stops. Even on the morning of December 24, the brothers have to go out to the field to take care of the banana trees.

On this entry of the journal the show us, and yes, teach us the importance of keeping the banana healthy if we want to have good shade for the cacao. On the other hand Liuba explains what we are trying to achieve by also planting beans.

However, it is noteworthy to see how biodiversity also plays a role. On this video you will see a couple of birds, also being part of the whole ecosystem.

On this last entry of the year 2021, we want to share a bit of the everyday life in Arbelaez. For Truffelinos it is not only about cacao and the business we can make out of it. For us it is also importan the cultural aspect and the more humane side of the story we are sharing with you.

Rafael and Liuba invite us to share some seans of th chistmas celebrations, just as well as some parts of the town of Arbelaez. On this video you will see the school, the hospital, the sports center and the main squere of the town. It is interesting to note that in Colombia, small towns and big cities are build in a grid shape, this is part of our Spanish heritage. Our project is maybe some 30 minutes by car from the main square.

Whit this we close this first year of our project. Thank you for following us

This new video comes with great news: Our project has now 1.000 cocoa baby trees. As Liuba will, very technically explain, we are at a critical stage. Trees are growing in the seedbeds under a shadow of our special greenhouse.

In parallel with humans, it is like if they are in an incubator. For about 90 days they will receive very careful and loving care, as we wait for them to be big and strong enough to be planted on the field.

It is worth pointing out that for Liuba this is also a great learning experience. She is finishing her studies as an agricultural engineer, so for her this is an opportunity to complement the theory, learn in the classroom, with hands on the field job.

Certainly it is not easy to imagine all the hard work and the many steps there are behind any agricultural produce. In our case we have been following the new cacao plantation, but it seems like we have only be talking about bananas and beans. It is quite amazing to realize how nature interacts and to notice the symbiosis between different species, plants in our case; beans help nurture the soil and bananas provide shade for the cacao that is yet to be planted on the field.

Following this cacao story in the voices and images of Rafael and Liuba gives a new meaning to the idea of “future” and it is a great example of how what you do in present tense has a direct impact on what will happen tomorrow.

As the year nears to an end we have some news, coming from Arbeláez, to share.

Since our last report, in late November, Liuba and Rafael haven´t stop working and the project is advancing at a nice and steady rate.

As part of our philosophy we are trying to work in the most ecofriendly way. By recommendation of the Federación Nacional de Cacaoteros technician we have to correct the content of nitrogen in the soil. One way to do this is by chemical fertilizers but we what to avoid this path as much as possible. So, as Liuba will explain, we are planting beans. They have the capacity to take this nutrient from the air and fix it to the soil. Yes, at some point beans will grow up, and the can be either eaten or sell by the family, as an extra benefit from this process. Liuba is also explaining that at some point the beans plants will be cut down and left to rotten in the soil, thus supplying the cacao trees with the much needed nitrogen.

Eight months have passed and there is some wonderful news coming from Arbeláez, as Liuba and Rafael are explaining: The cacao seeds arrived to La Querencia and after detailed care they have germinated and are now growing in the green house that was built for them.

We are both happy and proud of the work done until this point. Now we have opened a door into the future of this new cacao plantation. From this point on we can only hope that nature will be generous and will give us the right conditions for the trees to grow strong and healthy.

On this new video the young cacao growers, show all of us how the process is done. As they share interesting technical and practical information.

As we have been explaining all thru this journal, shade is very important for cacao’s development. On this new entry Liuba explains to us how new trees are introduced into the lot. It is interesting to note that in this case we are talking about nice tall trees (Nogal cafetero, Chicalá, Ocobo, cámbulo and Caracolí). They will not only be the shade for the cacao but also the home to birds that will enrich biodiversity at the farm. And, yes, they will also have nice flowers so when they are blooming the scenery will also be nice to look at.

Liuba also explains about some technical details. She talks about nutrients and about some eco-friendly strategies that are being implemented to provide the cacao with the soil it needs to prosper.

As you already know Colombia is located at in the tropics, this means that we don’t have summer and winter as in the northern or southern hemispheres.

What we do have is rainy season and dry season. On a typical year, January, Februrary, July and Agust are dry months but from late March to early June and from late September to early December are Colombian’s two rainy seasons, miss called “Invierno” Winter. For the farmers water means life, moisture will guarantee that all crops will grow nicely. Rafael shows us what a rainy day looks in Arbeláez.

Weed control is always a must, we don´t want to waste soil nutrients in unwanted weed, all the nutrients should go to the bananas and later on to the cacao. Just to facilitate labor, this is done with a mechanical scythe.

It is interesting to note that Rafael is using ear protection. The scythe is loud.

As suggested by Fedecacao, some extra nutrients have to be put into the soil, in this case they are in a liquid form and it is an organic compound. Again, to make it easier, this is done with an hydraulic back tank, as shown in the pictures.

September 9 / 2021, our Project was visited by a representative of the Federacion Nacional de Cacaoteros (Fedecacao). This is a trade association that provides technical assistance, on the ground, to cacao growers nationwide; it also promotes Colombian cacao in global markets and, finally, they do research in different aspects of cacao production.

After a very productive work session with Liuba and Rafael, two main conclusions can be point out:

1. With just some minor adjustments, the soil at “La Querencia” is very good and it will sustain our cacao properly, and successfully. 
2. At the begging of the project the idea was to buy the cacao «baby» trees at an external greenhouse. At the suggestion of Fedecacao, the plants will be germinated at “La Querencia”. This, in fact, will make the project even more interesting: This means more work to be done locally, less transportation cost, a better selection of individual plants and closer look to their development process.

August 25 / 2021: In Rafael´s voice we get a new report.

He wants to show how the banana is growing at a steady rhythm.

Not all the banana was planted at the same time; it was done in four stages in different parts of the lot.

Climate was bean generous with us and rain is not absent, of course that is very good news.

On each hole there is, although in a different development stage, a banana tree clearly showing above ground level. Banana is easily recognizable because of its big leaves.

Now, Rafael also explains that unwanted weed is growing around each banana tree. This weed will be cut off but they are also going to be used as natural fertilizer. This means that rotten weed will feed the bananas

The work in the field is arduos. Several days are required

to complete the task of planting 1,000 banana plants, which in the future will provide the necessary shade for an equal number of cocoa trees.

With much affection Truffelinos participates in this effort and we invite you to continue accompanying us on this journey.

As a prerequisite for the cocoa plantation, it is necessary to generate the shade that the cocoa needs to grow. This is obtained, naturally, by planting bananas. Its large leaves are the sustainable solution.

Join us in this process as we plant with Rafael and Liuba some of this banana plants.

A couple of day ago we went back to visit Rafael and Liuba. We wanted to check out the advance of the banana plants en eventually plant some of our own.

To make our bond with the brothers even tighter and warmer, but also to give it some extra level of seriousness we also signed a written agreement in which we all commit to work together to achieve our goal: A new cacao plantation.

Works at the field never stop and we are happy to share the latest developments.

Spots for the new trees are marked and the holes for the banana trees are being drilled.

On this new video Liuba explains to us a few interesting details about some technical aspects of the project. We invite you to watch the video and, why not, share a message with Rafael and Liuba at robertog@truffelinos.com.co

Our journey continues. Some cleaning works have been done and Liuba and Rafael are working hard so they can start marking the spots in which each tree is going to be planted. 

But why don’t you listen to the story directly in the voices of the main characters of the story.