For Marlon, coffee has always been the economic foundation of his family. At 17, he wasn’t sure what path to follow, so he enrolled in a barismo course at SENA. There, he gained knowledge in brewing, green coffee evaluation, and sensory analysis, and began to realize that his family’s farm could have a different future.

From that point on, they started planting differentiated varieties such as Pink Bourbon, Geisha, and Chiroso. Now 21 years old, Marlon has been fully dedicated to the farm for the past two years. Through trial and error, he has steadily refined the processing methods and strengthened his focus on quality.

His project is called Three Coffee Farmers, a name that refers to him and his two brothers: Hemerson (24) and Pedro (23). All three live on the farm. His brothers primarily manage other crops and the day-to-day farm work, while Marlon leads fermentation processes, sample preparation, cupping, and part of the commercial strategy.

Marlon is also recognized for competing in barismo using the water from his farm. A natural spring emerges nearby, filtered through rock formations, and he noticed the attributes it brought to the cup — enhanced body and sweetness. Using this water, he has won competitions, and other baristas have since used it in championships as well, referring to it as “champions’ water.”

Marlon dreams of producing a winning lot at auction and seeing his coffees featured in different parts of Colombia and around the world. At the same time, he is committed to growing step by step, learning at every stage, and enjoying the process of progress.