Fresh-picked beans dry on raised beds at Mesa de los Santos in central Colombia.

Coffee here is grown under a four-layer forest canopy. Short broad-leaved trees provide shade, while taller trees anchor the soil in place with their roots.

Mimi Wysong, Cayuga Street Manager, traveled to Colombia to experience coffee farming first-hand.

By investing in sustainable agricultural practices and certifications, Mesa de los Santos has found itself a niche market. The farmers' efforts pay off in high quality coffee, premium prices, and a better standard of living.

Six families, led by farmer Osvaldo Acovedo, share the responsibilities of running the farm.

Coffee plants and shade-tree seedlings get up to size in the nursery.

Natural compost is used to encourage healthy plant growth.

Acovedo keeps a test garden with 42 different coffee varietals — from Harar to Kona — to see which will fare the best in the Mesa soil.

The gardens at the casa hacienda are beautiful and functional. They attract birds who keep pest populations down in the fields and prevent the need for pesticides.

The farm hosts over 119 species of bird.

The farmers also cultivate wasp colonies to keep down the insect population.

Every aspect of the farm is carefully planned for sustainability and efficiency.

Mesa is certified bird-friendly by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.

Banana trees provide shade for the coffee, as well as snacks for birds and farmers alike. Ripe bananas are placed out on every stump and flat surface to attract the birds.

The Mesa school serves 320 children.

The school has a library, a playground, and generously sized classrooms.

Usually, there would be kids playing soccer in the courtyard, but Mimi visited during the holiday.

Students come from Mesa de los Santos and the surrounding area.

Acovaldo holds an intense cupping session so that the visitors can try different coffee varietals from his test garden.

Cupping 14 coffees at a time takes serious concentration.

To get the full range of aromas, cuppers smell the coffee twice: first the dry grounds, then the fresh brew.

The clean, bright flavor of the brew is its own reward.