José Ilder left home as an adolescent and found work picking cherries on farms throughout the fertile growing region of Huila. Not knowing where his work was leading him, José worked hard and found himself falling in love with coffee. During this challenging time of demanding work, he witnessed how poorly many farm owners treated him and the other pickers, and he became determined to own his own farm one day. Despite his frustrations, José continued to approach his work with enthusiasm, which resulted in gaining the attention of farm owners. This led to the opportunity to negotiate agreements with owners to split earnings from harvests that he was overseeing. He saved his money, managed it well, and realized his dream of purchasing a farm. He is now a proud farm owner, working the land alongside his wife and children. Reflecting on his opportunities, he has adopted a similar model for his children, sharing the earnings so they can save for their own farm one day. "I've never intended to be anything other than a coffee farmer," says José Ilder. “I began with coffee, and that's how I plan to spend my final days."