San Jose El Yalu - Guatemala 2007 Verified listing

San Jose El Yalu San Jose El Yalu was founded by Sisters of Charity, who sold the farm around 25 years a go. The main construction of the farm is still intact. The church, the water wheel, the stable and the sugar cane mill are some of the old constructions inherit. Since its foundation, the farm has always produced coffee. In 1985, Agropecuaria Los Pinos, S.A. bought the farm and started to introduce other agricultural products like blueberry, dairy cows, trout and ecotourism. One of the major achievements of the farm is the diversification of products and its well integration among them. Cattle is fed with vegetables of the region, coffee pulp and manure is used to produce compost with worms for the coffee plantation and blueberries, worms are now being evaluated to see if they could feed trout. Cultivation of coffee is not an easy task, especially because of the farm elevation (5,200-6,000 F). Annual rainfall is low and therefore shade trees are critical for coffee. These trees cover our coffee plantation with abundant shade to regulate sun light. The farm has a basic wet mil with depulper and fermentation tank and patios for sun dry. It also has a room for blueberry packaging and a cold room for the fruit to be exported. Save production techniques for the fruit is certified by Davis Fresh Technologies.