Las Laderas - El Salvador 2018 Verified listing

Las Laderas

Farm name: Las Laderas
Country: El Salvador
Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec
Varietal: bourbon-pacamara-caturra-sl28
Altitude: from 1400 to 1800 meters over sea level
Processing method: washed
Drying method: clay patios-african beds
Farm size: 40 hectars
Farm contact: Fernando Lima

PROFILE INFORMATION

Las Laderas is surrounded by two national parks (National Park “Los Volcanes” and National Park “Cerro Verde”) and it’s located in one of the highest lands in El Salvador. The farm itself is composed of sixty hectares, 40 planted and 20 still natural virgin forests, home to a wide variety of species including deer, tepezcuintle, coyote, spine fox, cotuzas, and motuza squirrles.
Since the farm began its process of certification with Rainforest, plants like izote and capalchi were planted and are now serving the purpose of protecting the soil from eroding. The eruption of Ilamatepec volcano in 2006 covered the whole farm in a mantle of ash. Because of this, the farm became fully organic, and the use of chemical pesticides ceased. Some of the original shade trees were also replanted with varieties including “corozo”, walnut tree, cypress, ¨hormiguero¨ and jacarandas. These trees help create an extended natural forest along with the coffee plantations, providing the coffee plant with a healthy natural shade. Coffee plantations with natural shade have become a significant portion of the forests remaining in El Salvador due to deforestation of dense forestry zones.
Las Laderas is a 2 times Cup of Excellence winning farm which was planted 60 years ago and has been in the Lima family ever since. The Pacamara sample that made it to Cup of Excellence this year was product of the first, formal large-scale production of Pacamara that Las Laderas has had since the new plants were planted three years after the 2006 eruption of Ilamatepec volcano. The annual production of the whole farm is of about 400 bags (50 bags are pacamara , 69 kg each bag), and the annual rainfall is of about 3000mm.