Colombia "Mesa de los Santos"
Legend has it that more than 150 years
ago, Monsignor Francisco Romero discovered Mesa de los Santos, a
blessed land in the beautiful northeastern Andes of Colombia. It is
said that the priest ordered sinners to repent by planting coffee.
The land soon began to produce coffee so special that Father Romero
is said to have declared it worthy of being served at the "Mesa de
los Santos ", the Table of Saints.
Mesa de los Santos occupies a rare spot atop a plateau in the
Santander region that rises
above the Sogamoso and Manco Rivers near Chicamocha Canyon,
considered Colombia's "Grand Canyon."
At an elevation of 5,100 feet, the farm
receives the perfect balance of rain, sunlight, and cool nights
producing a well-balanced coffee. Mesa de los Santos is certified organic,
shade grown, Rainforest Alliance, and bird friendly.
The
estate exemplifies sustainable farming practices and has
received much recognition for being one of the only plantations in
Colombia to be so environmentally conscious. For example,
composted chicken manure is used as an
excellent natural "fertilizer" for the farm's land. The chicken
manure mixed with rice husks is then combined with post-wet-process
coffee mucilage and pulp. Between the coffee rows, herbs
including lemon balm and mint are planted as natural insecticides.
Every 15 days, a mixture called purin is applied to the seedlings.
This concoction contains leaves from many of the shade trees and
plants that are cultivated on the farm that act as natural
fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides. These are mixed with
cattle manure, naturally growing groundcover, yeast, and molasses to
introduce and feed desirable microorganisms that help the plants
grow healthier.
The biodiversity that has resulted
from Mesa de los Santos' organic farming, forestation and soil
improvement techniques is beyond impressive. The multi-layered shade
of the farm is an absolute haven for resident and migratory birds.
Today, there are 48 varieties of shade trees established throughout
the farm--more than 43,250 shade trees total--from the temporary
shade of the banana to the intermediate shade and wonderful mulch
created by the fallen leaves of the nine varieties of guamo to the
beautiful, feathery, umbrella-like canopy of the galapo.
In addition to being an
environmentally friendly farm, Mesa de los Santos takes care of its
workers. There are 310 workers
that receive wages at 65% above the Colombian minimum salary.
The workers and their 548 family members also receive free health
care and dental benefits, education allowance for children,
disability insurance, and a retirement pension.
About this certified coffee: Each bag has a certified paper trail leading back
to the Mesa de los Santos Estate, confirming that the coffee was
grown under shade, organically and responsibly, and to
the strict regulations of the Rainforest Alliance.
Your coffee is not
roasted until we receive your order, guaranteeing the
freshest coffee possible.
Colombian coffee
is also available in
decaf
and our Mild
n Mellow Sampler
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