Meet the Team
Ramiro Granda
Farm Owner, Coffee Producer, AgronomistRamiro is the third-generation owner of Siempre Verde Farm as well as the lead coffee producer. An agronomist by trade, Ramiro is an expert in the science of cultivating plants. He's also a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He grew up in a farming family, and now his own family is continuing the tradition—his wife and children help with the coffee production and sales. Ramiro is a man of character. He's hardworking, compassionate, and full of a kindness that radiates from the smile that's always on his face. The passion and pride he feels for his farm is evident, from cheerfully working right alongside his staff, to gently caring for a sick farm dog, to knowing all the flora and fauna on his land by heart. Ramiro’s integrity guides his steps and helps him make the best decisions for his farm, and it’s an integral part of why SVF’s coffee is so different from mainstream coffee.
Vicky Granda
Farm Owner, Coffee Producer, Quality Control ManagerVicky is the farm's co-owner and co-producer, along with the coffee quality control manager. She is Ramiro’s wife and a proud mother and grandmother. Having previously had her own successful business, Vicky knows how to help the farm flourish, both guiding the staff and participating in the operations herself. She always feels at peace at the farm, and she cherishes the serenity. She's a brave and resilient woman who has overcome many formidable challenges in her life, and she brings a quiet strength to what she does. She uses the wisdom she has gained from her experiences to inspire others. She loves fiercely, works tirelessly, and gives contentedly. Vicky is the epitome of small but mighty, and she is invaluable not only to the farm, but also to Ramiro and the whole SVF family.
Martín Granda
Roaster, Customer Relations Coordinator, Operations DirectorMartín is the older son of Ramiro and Vicky, and while attempting to understand the coffee industry from all sides, he developed an enthusiasm for the specialty coffee movement and a true love of what his family does. He decided to venture into creating the U.S. branch of Siempre Verde Farm, and after years of immersing himself in everything coffee—reaching out to importers, forming relationships with coffee experts from all around the world, eagerly delving into the sensory study of coffee, and learning the ins and outs of taking things to the next step—SVF Coffee was born. Martín is the point person for SVF Coffee, whether via website or at face-to-face events. He also became a skilled roaster and roasts the farm’s coffee himself! He has a heart for others, a head for business, and a passion for coffee, and the marrying of these traits makes him an empathetic, intelligent, and capable contributor to the farm's success. But what makes Martín so special is that although he sees the production and efficiency angles of a business, he never forgets to see the people behind those factors, and to ensure their well-being first and foremost. He is both a leader and a servant. Martín truly takes joy in helping his family and community through the farm's coffee business, and it's qualities like his that promise a bright future for Siempre Verde Farm.
David Granda
Roasting Consultant, SCA Sensory Expert, BaristaDavid is the younger son of Ramiro and Vicky, and he has always had dreams for his family’s farm. What drives him is the desire to build relationships with others, and to better their lives in as many ways as possible. When David visualizes what the farm could become, he sees a chance to provide for the people who work at the farm, extend aid to the nearby school, and enhance the quality of life in the community. Ever optimistic and thoughtful, he’s the visionary of the family. Always motivated to grow, progress, and take on new challenges, David invested in his coffee education and advanced his expertise in the field, becoming certified in various SCA sensory skills and working both as a roaster and a barista. This gave him firsthand knowledge that has proven invaluable to SVF Coffee and even enabled him to create his own coffee cart service—SVF Coffee Bar—serving the farm’s coffee, of course! David’s congenial, upbeat spirit and genuine friendliness give him the ability to connect with anyone. His self-sacrificing nature and sensitivity to the needs of those around him make him a strong and impassioned advocate for others. David is quick to laugh, quick to help, and quick to show others love.
Emilia Granda
Graphic DesignerEmilia is the daughter of Ramiro and Vicky, and she’s the talent behind the Siempre Verde Farm logo and other design materials—she hand-paints them with watercolors and has an eye for anything visual—but she brings so much more than beautiful aesthetics into the SVF world. Along with being the artist for SVF Coffee, Emilia is a hard-working mother of three. She always puts family first as she balances home life with other responsibilities and tasks. It’s no secret amongst the Grandas that Emilia focuses on her own needs last—she’s loyal, self-sacrificial, and perseverant. And while Emilia is perfectionistic and has a finely-honed attention to detail, she’s not just all about work. She also has a sharp and witty sense of humor and will be the first to break out into laughter, causing others to join in as smiles appear all around her. She’s thoughtful and giving and is a cherished member of the family, bringing color not only to the farm’s graphics but also to the lives of her loved ones.
Holly Granda
Content CreatorHolly is Martín’s wife and the person behind the farm’s content. She does all of the writing and takes most of the pictures for both the website and social media. She married into this coffee family and suddenly found herself knowing more about coffee than she had ever thought she wanted to! But she really enjoys being along on the coffee adventure and appreciates the role that she gets to have in it. It gives her a chance to learn more about her Ecuadorian family’s passion and to use her creativity to help out with the Granda specialty coffee journey! Holly loves working on content for the farm for many reasons. She gets to explore the farm and learn all about who works there, how the work is done, and what comes out of that work. She gets to know the shy smiles and the careful hands of the farm’s team members, their faces and their names. She gets to wonder how she’s ever going to begin to describe the farm’s colors or serenity in writing, or capture the majesty of the Andes or the detail of a coffee blossom in a photograph. She would encourage anyone reading to come see for themselves, because there’s no way a description or photo can do the farm justice!
Fernanda Tibán
Quality Control SpecialistFernanda has only been working in coffee with us for a few months, but she has embraced it fully! She is in charge of quality control, carefully hand-sorting through the coffee on the drying beds and ensuring that only the premium beans are selected. This takes a high level of both skill and patience. Fernanda also tracks the coffee throughout the processing phases (taking humidity measurements, checking pH during fermentation, logging the different data points that need to be captured, etc.). She is very committed to learning new things and has recently taken on the challenge of harvesting the coffee cherries. She has even shown initiative by meticulously organizing the GrainPro bags in the coffee storage facility. Fernanda is ambitious and proactive as well as a pleasure to be around, and she brings a positive energy to the team!
Guido Albuja
Field Supervisor, Coffee Picker & ProcessorGuido has been with us for years and has shown an earnest willingness to fill different roles, working in whatever capacity needed—and this is so important on a small farm like ours. This type of teamwork mentality makes success possible when things are in constant flux, which they always are. We never know what each season will bring, so having a dependable and flexible team member like Guido is priceless to us. Guido is now the field supervisor in charge of daily coffee activities, from harvesting to processing to crop management (fertilization, health of the plants, irrigation, etc.). He is a very peaceful person and is easy to work with, and as an added bonus, he’s also knowledgeable about other fruit trees (and we have many!). We are blessed to have him in the SVF family.
Arturo Calderón
Coffee Picker & ProcessorArturo is the newest member of our team. He recently started to learn coffee, and his previous job was on a cacao farm, so he is not new to working with fruits and fermentation (cacao follows a process very similar to coffee). With a background in farming, Arturo not only brings his personal experience but also his love and appreciation for farm life. He and his wife, María, are also caretakers at our farm, and they live in the home next to the main farmhouse. Arturo is a quiet and agreeable family man who takes his work very seriously but has a kind and ready smile. He’s taking what he knows about cacao and applying it to coffee harvesting (picking and processing), and we are so glad to have him at the farm!
Fernando Guamanzara
Coffee Picker & ProcessorFernando has been working in coffee with us for five years but has been a part of our farm for decades! Because he lives nearby and is so reliable, he has been able to save the day when circumstances have required someone’s help on the weekend. Fernando is very punctual and dedicated, and he is involved in many of the different aspects of coffee: harvesting (picking cherries), post-harvesting (floating and washing cherries), maintaining/cleaning the processing area, and preparing the coffee for the next step (weighing, sealing, and carrying coffee sacks). Besides assisting with picking and processing, he also makes sure that the coffee lots are in good shape by weeding, tending, and using machinery/equipment that allows for that. Although Fernando is quite private and mostly keeps to himself, he is a strong, diligent team player, and we would not want to be without him! He’s a fixture at our farm!
Stalin Flores
Coffee Picker & ProcessorStalin is the youngest member of the SVF team, but he has been working in coffee with us for two years and has proven to be a great help to us. He’s very responsible and very willing, and he enjoys learning new things at the farm. In addition to picking and processing, he is in charge of the irrigation system, checking that the lines are clean, fixing the lines when they break, cleaning water filters, and ensuring that the whole system is working as well as possible. Stalin is good-natured, soft-spoken, and well-liked by others, and we are grateful to him for his optimistic attitude and all the effort he puts in every day. He is a valued part of the SVF family!