It all began in 1995, when the Bayter family’s parents set out on an agricultural adventure at El Vergel Estate. With passion and dedication, they began cultivating avocados, eventually turning the farm into one of the most productive in the country. However, in 2006, avocado prices dropped sharply due to a disease that severely impacted the crop. Between 2009 and 2010, Martha—the Bayter family matriarch—decided to diversify their crops and reduce costs by introducing coffee varieties such as Catimore, Red Caturra, and Yellow Caturra, stepping beyond the limits of her existing knowledge. As their interest in coffee deepened, the Bayter family embarked on a hands-on journey to understand depulping and different fermentation methods. Alongside coffee enthusiast Nelson Moya, who introduced them to various processing tools, they began to explore Colombia’s specialty coffee potential. In 2014–2015, they certified their farm as "Rainforest" through Colombia’s National Federation of Coffee Growers. Their dedication and passion for coffee began to bear fruit. In 2016, they met Miguel Jiménez, a specialist in varietal and specialty coffees, who guided the Bayters in planting high-quality varieties such as Geisha, Java, Pacamara, Red Bourbon, and Laurina. The first successful harvests of these varieties came in 2017, marking a major milestone in their coffee journey. Over time, the farm modernized. In 2018, they introduced natural processing methods—including both aerobic and anaerobic techniques—and acquired silos for coffee storage. Gradually, they became known as pioneers in innovation and quality. Today, the Bayter family carries out extensive research on bacteria and yeasts to control fermentation, alongside tireless experimentation with processing methods—achieving unprecedented levels of excellence in their coffees. Now, El Vergel Estate has expanded to include more than 28 coffee varieties across its land and has become the first coffee farm in Colombia to develop the kOJI fermentation process—a breakthrough that has completely revolutionized green coffee production.