Marcela Silva Gómez has been sick for a month, but that hasn’t stopped her from waking up at 4 a.m. four days a week to visit SiembraViva’s smallholder farmers. It’s clear that being SiembraViva’s head agronomist is more than just a job to her. When I accompany her on a trip to meet with the smallholder farmers — a day that starts at 6 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. — I begin to understand the significance of Marcela’s role in the company’s mission of cultivating a healthy revolution in Colombia. One of Acumen’s first investments in Latin America, SiembraViva is an e-commerce company that sources organic produce from Colombia’s smallholder farmers to sell to consumers in the country’s cities and, as its chief agronomist, Marcela is a professional practitioner, educator and adviser who helps develop and implement innovative practices and technologies to ensure these farmers grow crops profitably and sustainably.

Born and raised in Rionegro, Marcela spends her workdays in the field, traveling from farm to farm nestled amid the western Andes of Antioquia and advising SiembraViva’s farmers on how to grow everything from organic kale to Romanesco broccoli. “Smallholder farmers are authentic models of rural development who possess ancestral knowledge,” she said.

“With their humility and wisdom, these farmers created the art of food production and are helping to preserve the earth. I want to help improve the vegetable production in Colombia and to make visible all the smallholder farmers who are waiting for an opportunity to be an active part of our society.”

As we head out into the field, I ask Marcela what the most challenging part of her job is. It’s no surprise when her answer is information management. SiembraViva’s farmers grow up to 30 different types of vegetables in their fields. One of my goals as an Acumen Global Fellow is to help Marcela do more of what she loves — spending face-to-face time with farmers — by improving how the SiembraViva manages its farmer information.

We arrive at Luz Elena’s farm tucked away in the mountains outside Medellin and are greeted by two dogs, who come barreling toward Marcela. She pulls out some food from her backpack and feeds the dogs. It’s a small, kind act that shows Luz Elena that Marcela is more than a business partner. As we tour the farm, Marcela advises Luz Elena on how to deal with the fungal disease affecting her potatoes and the butterflies invading the tomatoes. At one point, she pulls out a loupe magnifier, the same my father uses to examine diamonds, to analyze a tomato that’s been damaged by butterflies. She’s looking for eggs to take back to the lab, so she can find an organic solution to Luz Elena’s problem. Although my command of the Spanish language is elementary, I notice how Marcela speaks with Luz Elena. Like any good teacher, she communicates with great humility and a sincere desire to help Luz Elena improve her farm and her livelihood.

After two hours with Luz Elena, we set off to meet with another SiembraViva farmer. Surrounded by pine trees, Wilson’s farm calls to mind Northern Ontario in my home of Canada. Marcela tells me that Wilson is a smart, fantastic farmer and, within minutes, I can see why. He makes all of his own organic inputs to protect and help improve his yields. For example, he has cooked up a mixture of rainwater, lime, potash and sulfur that he uses as both an organic pesticide and fertilizer. Playing the role of both student and teacher, Marcela listens intently to Wilson to learn how he makes his concoction and the results he’s seen while advising him on how to grow the variety of vegetables SiembraViva seeks. It’s an example of the delicate balance she maintains to build trust with SiembraViva’s farmers.

As the sun sets and the day comes to a close, I turn to Marcela and, in my broken Spanish, say “Mucho trabajo.” There is no other way to describe Marcela’s days. She is just one of SiembraViva’s 14 committed team members working to help Colombia’s smallholder farmers live a better life.

“SiembraViva gives me the opportunity to share knowledge and life experiences with the farmers,” Marcela said. “You can get professional training in almost any place, but the opportunity to get that knowledge and preserve it for future generations has no price.”

Mina Shahid is a 2016 Acumen Fellow. Follow Mina’s adventures in Latin America this week on Instagram at @acumenorg.

The Acumen Global Fellows Program is 12-month leadership program for individuals committed to serving the poor who possess the skills, determination and moral imagination to drive social change.