Finca Don Juan

Juan de La Cruz started his coffee activities in 1978, with only 0.35 hectares of the Pacas variety, he owns, works and lives of his coffee land and production. For the past 30 years this farm has been worked personnally and is the economic source of income for his whole family of five members, two permanent employees and 8 temporary.

He fertilizes in the months of may and september, Juan de La Cruz applies tree pruning, with selective and sanitary purposes, uses manual weed control and regulates shade up to 40% for the whole farm. Due to the farm's altitude he has no plague or pest problems but he always take samples for prevention. His harvest starts in December until mach, collecting only the red cherries. then he moves his crop with the pickers, to the wet mill, where he pulps the coffee in an 2 stream pulper, in excellent condition. using the less water possible from a protected water source near by. His fermentations is done in cement tanks for and average of 12 hours, then the coffee is washed and taken into cement patios.

It takes Juan de la Cruz at least two hours and a half to transport by pick up truck his coffee to the nearest storaging facility or exporter. He says his success lays in good advice from experts, training to the pickers and other hand labor, an efficient milling. He and his family are well aware of the protection of the environment and give the proper process to pulp and residue waters. Due to the recently past coffee prices crisis, he has reduced the agronomical management of his farm.