This
certified organic, shade grown coffee is grown at the famous Hacienda La Amistad in
Costa Rica.
La Amistad Estate has developed an
innovative system to combine the native species from surrounding
primary (old-growth) forests with its plantation. The vast
majority of La Amistad’s forests are preserved untouched, with a
ratio of nine hectares of forest for every hectare in
cultivation. In addition, the coffee is grown with shade plants
that naturally produce nitrogen and improve the quality of both
the soil and the coffee crop, while providing habitat for native
fauna — birds, mammals, and helpful insects. The high diversity
of life in the plantation allows beneficial insects and birds to
exercise biological control of pests, while the soil is
constantly regenerated with nitrogen from shade plants, natural
compost from pruning, and soil microorganisms and invertebrates
that thrive in this healthy environment.
Between the coffee plants, the ground is
covered with many other kinds of plants, pruned by hand and
trimmed by sheep. This ground cover ensures that the soil is
soft, aerated, and protected from erosion. The soil is enriched with
organic fertilizer made from coffee pulp from the previous
year’s crop mixed with ashes from the drying kilns, sawdust and
chicken manure, and then processed by earthworms ( known as vermiculture).
The coffee leaves are fertilized with
liquid produced by earthworms, while cow manure residue serves
as a natural pesticide. The forest surrounding the plantations
hosts dozens of species of parasitic wasps and flies that
destroy plant pests, while the large bird population living in
the coffee groves and forests feeds off insects and other small
animals. The coffee groves constitute a lively, healthy
ecosystem.
About
this certified coffee: Each bag has a
certified paper trail leading back to the
Hacienda La Amistad, confirming that the coffee was
grown organically and in a sustainable manner.
