Andres Yepez - Geisha

Andrés Yepez — full name Esteban Andrés Viernes Salazar — is 34 years old, a first-generation producer, and five years into building Canavalle from former pastureland near Ibarra. He named the farm after its valley: a place the locals historically associated with sugar cane cultivation. At 2,140 masl in Imbabura, it is the highest farm in this competition.
He runs the operation as something between a farm and a laboratory. Sixteen varieties are under study across three distinct microclimate zones; five produce at commercial scale. Coffee grows under deep shade alongside avocados, native laurel, walnut, loquat, citrus, and vegetables — each association observed closely for its effect on soil and plant health. The farm sits above the Ambi river canyon, which creates its own weather: 30% less rainfall than nearby Ibarra, high cloud cover, and strong seasonal winds. Half the planted area is under drip irrigation; the steeper slopes rely on gravity-fed systems, which Andrés notes perform less reliably under heat stress.
His stated ambition is not volume — it is recognition. He entered this competition to put Ibarra on the specialty coffee map, and to show that the province produces work deserving international attention. This Washed Geisha, scored 90.13, placed first in the field.