In the early 1970’s Mr. Héctor Daza began the transformation of the family farm into a coffee paradise, by planting diverse timber and fruit trees, creating a beautiful shade canopy for the different varieties of coffee he planted. This was the starting point of a lifelong commitment to environmental practices at La Pradera.
The 1980’s were a challenging period, with low market prices and adverse climate conditions. Oscar Daza, third generation, assumes the leadership of La Pradera, with a vision to produce extraordinary specialty coffees, certified Rainforest Alliance, Birdfriendly and Organic for world markets.
La Pradera is built on strong family values, that have allowed a successful generational transition.
Oscar and Héctor Jr. received formal coffee training and education at Colombia's prestigious Fundación Manuel Mejía. Hector specialized in Farm Management and Oscar arrived 5 years later to specialize in green productivity- making the farm most productive by applying only green and natural methods. This became Oscar's trigger towards sustainable farming and towards becoming pioneers in organic agriculture in Santander, Colombia. Oscar later received a scholarship to attend Colombia's prestigious CENICAFE (National Center for Coffee Research) where many different coffee varietals where being developed, among them- Castillo. He was able to study coffee genetics and be part of the process of research of the different Castillo varietals. This allowed them to be part of the first farms in Colombia that received seeds when the varietals were released. The brothers planted different lots with different varietals, including several types of Castillo and Colombia. Over the years they have identified the different profiles, strengths and maintenance requirements of each. Careful sustainable farming techniques, selective harvesting practices, along with innovative processing methods have allowed La Pradera to position its coffees in international markets among roasters and consumers that love exceptional coffee- that also appreciate the fact that it is produced and processed sustainably and that it contributes to building the community of Aratoca, Santander, Colombia.