As with many other coffee origins, it is believed that coffee was first brought to Colombia by priests, possibly within a decade or two after coffee first arrived in the Americas via the Caribbean in the first half of the 17th century. It was likely grown as a horticultural crop for local consumption and barter for several decades. Unlike other coffee regions, we have the story of a priest named Francisco Romero, who could be called the father of commercial coffee farming in Colombia. According to folklore, in the early 19th century, Father Francisco heard confessions in the north-eastern town of Salazar de las Palmas and instructed his parishioners to plant coffee as penance for their sins. The Archbishop of Colombia heard about this and ordered all priests to adopt the same practice. Commercial coffee production expanded rapidly and spread to regions where growing conditions were ideal.