Story told by: Jean Trinh of Alquímico
The "From the Bar To The Farm" project has roots from 2018, when the bar joined a collective working to facilitate the flow of organic resources directly from locals instead of through intermediaries to support the local economy and guarantee the freshest ingredients to serve at Alquímico. By 2019, I recognized the need for organic ingredient sourcing for such a high-volume bar was too great for the collective alone and acquired a farm of around 10 hectares (approx 25 acres) in one of the most fertile regions of Colombia: the coffee axis. The initial idea of the farm project was simple, in the middle and long-term support a significant percentage of the production of necessary organic fruits, plants, vegetables and spices for the operation of the bar, without abandoning the solidarity with the existing local farm collective project.
However, the plans and trajectory for the project completely changed with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 13, 2020, the city of Cartagena forced the closure of all bars for the safety of the people and the Alquimico team quickly realized that the closures would likely last several months. It was then that the farm project was completely reimagining with a new purpose.
After a month of meetings, calls, emails and petitioning, I secured approval from the Colombian government to safely move their staff from Cartagena to the farm located in the municipality of Filandia more than 800 km and 20 hours on a road trip. On May 15, a group of 22 staff members began the journey to the farm, where they would enter a training process in different agricultural practices unlike any that has ever been created in the industry.
The bar team was divided into 2 groups – construction and agriculture. The construction team actually built the team’s home while learning machinery, electricity, cement work, plumbing and carpentry with guadua – a local native wood.
The other team was involved in all of the agricultural aspects of the program including apiary for the production of organic honey, construction of greenhouses in Guadua, a reforestation project with more than 1200 trees natives, in addition to planting around 1000 citrus trees that will serve to demand them in the bar, preparation of organic fertilizers, an adaptation of land for the creation of ecological trails, planting of vegetables, aromatic herbs, special coffees of the highest quality, a seed bank that guarantees the perpetuity of native species and which in turn serve neighboring farms.
The team has all committed to their own personal development while adapting to the dynamics of agriculture. Exploring a level of community and teamwork that many are not able to experience. The whole team started their workday at 6am, which is a massive life change for bartenders used to leaving work at that time. While at the farm, their diets were vegetarian and 100% organic to provide a deeper perspective and connection with people who dedicate their lives to the land. And similar to camp or self-exploration retreats, outside of work, the activities surrounded collective thinking combined with sports and leisure activities aimed at creating a positive mental and physical impact on the Alquimico team.
