Galo Morales and Ecuador

Galo Morales and Ecuador

Posted by Ivica Cvetanovski on

On their 350-hectare property in the settlement of San José de Minas, a little town in the northwest of Pichincha, just north of Quito, Galo Fernando Morales Flores, his wife Maria Alexandra Rivera, and their extended family grow coffee. Their farm, Finca Cruz Loma, is described as a wonderful paradise with a temperate, tropical environment that supports a wide variety of flora. In addition to coffee, the family grows maize, beans, guanábana (soursop) and other citrus fruits.

Although coffee has always been a source of revenue, Galo, Maria Alexandra, and the entire family have recently gained a lot of notoriety as featured producers in Ecuador's national barista competition and as winners of Pichincha's regional quality competition in 2019. Cruz Loma placed third in the national "Taza Dorada" quality competition in 2020. More awards have followed since. Ecuador has a sizable domestic market for roasted coffee, thus accolades like these have a significant effect on a farm's reputation among both locals and visitors. 

Galo's family has owned Finca Cruz Loma for eight decades. He and his four brothers currently hold the land after its original owners, his grandparents, bequeathed it to their offspring. Galo started his coffee career 20 years ago working on the farm with his mother. He later worked professionally in the coffee industry as a project manager and for exporters before going back to full-time farming. Because my wife, my children, and I am all active in the production and sale of our coffee, Galo states that "cultivating my coffee is an activity that allows me to apply and develop the skills and habits I've learnt over the years; it's also an essential resource for my family."

Although the family keeps picking until December, the main harvest months in northern Pichincha are June through September. Because of its namesake location on the equator, Ecuador offers medium-altitude coffee a nearly ideal growth season throughout the year, with mature cherries and flowers frequently occurring on the same branch in most months.

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