Finca Rancho Tio Emilio not only produces some of the best coffees in Ecuador but is also rich in history and passion. It all starts with the two brothers, Henry and José Gaibor, who inherited their love for farming from their late father, Emilio Gaibor, after whom the farm is named.

While José is a skilled infant heart surgeon and lives in town during the week, it is Henry and his wife, Verena, who oversee the daily operations of Rancho Tio Emilio, along with their other farms and mill at Finca Maputo and nearby Hakuna Matata. But the story of this couple is just as fascinating as the coffee they produce.

Henry is a veteran war-trauma surgeon from Ecuador, and Verena is a war nurse from Switzerland, and they first met in 1996 while volunteering for Doctors Without Borders in Bujumbura, Burundi, during a humanitarian crisis. After two years of working together, they moved to Henry's home country, Ecuador, where they managed a clinic in Quito for thirteen years before following their passion for coffee.

And it is this passion that is evident in every cup of coffee they produce. The Gaibors grow several different varieties of coffee, including Typica, Bourbon, SL-28, Sidra, Kaffa, and Caturra, which are carefully divided and marked on their properties. 

Their coffee is grown in La Perla, Nanegal, which is located in the province of Pichincha, near the border of Colombia, and has a specific microclimate that gives their coffee a unique quality.

The coffee is depulped the same day it's harvested and then placed in airtight tanks to ferment within an anaerobic environment, allowing for a slower and cooler fermentation. The coffee is then removed, washed, and spread on raised beds to dry, resulting in a perfectly balanced and flavorful cup.

Their dedication to coffee farming is unwavering, and their hard work and attention to detail have not gone unnoticed. Visiting Rancho Tio Emilio, one can see the mist covering the coffee fields in the afternoons, and feel the cooler temperatures at night, which make this farm and the coffee it produces truly special. It's a story of dedication, passion, and love for coffee that has been passed down through generations and will continue to thrive for many more to come.