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Farm Beyond the Clouds

What do you imagine when you hear the word "coffee farm"?
Bright sunshine? Extensive land? Of cause these are one of aspects that coffee farm has, but not its all.

Originally, coffee plants would be planted in the shade in a rainforest. But people had attached greater importance to productivity after 1960's, and started cutting off forests and cultivating in bare lands. As soon as a number of environmental issues have occured in entire world, however, they have gradually come to shift the cultivation style to environmentally friendly method.

One of the methods is "Shade-grown". In this style, coffee plants are grown in the shade of other shrubs rather than under the sun (coffee plant is not tolerate of direct sunshine). Eventually, these shrubs become house of wild animals and protect the ecosystem. This time, we had an oppotunity to see a farm which had taken notice of the capacity of Shade-grown since long ago and producing high quality coffee.

Ideal Farm with 4 Environmental Certifications
El Roble farm a.k.a. Mesa de los Santos is located in San Gil, Santander, Columbia.

Mesa de los Santos means "the Saint Table" in the local language. It indicates the unique landform where a vast tableland exists between steep ravines. When we have visited there, in fact, sudden scenery of solemn forests was spreading there after going more than 1000m up the mountain as going through the clouds. The world above clouds - that is the place where Mesa de los Santos exists.

The owner Mr. Ozwald. He's at his
sixties but pretty youthful.

The farm is owned by Mr. Oswald Acevedo, and he is a business man who runs 3 companys including this farm. He is a celebrity in Columbia as has a friendship with the 58th President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, but he kindly welcomed our visit and guided us although he had been quite busy.

This farm was established by his a great-grandfather Mr.Diaz in 1873, and 600,000 of Caturra, 300,000 of Borbon, and 200,000 of Tipica are grown in the land of 300ha.

So far, they have gotten 4 certifications - of JAS, USDA, Bird Friendly, and Rainforest Alliance.
認証マーク
It's quite rare that the farm has a number of verifications by itself like this because even one certification is pretty hard to get as it requires continuous record and quality management.

Although I could not comprehend how it could be made before coming here, but the question was gradually cleared away as soon as we inspected the farm with the guide of Mr.Ozwald.


 

1. Operation of Shade-grown

The annual precipitation in this area amounts to only 950 millimeters and the absolute quantity is too small for coffee cultivation. So they have been following the conventional method that they plant shade trees so as to prevent the field from being  dried up. Mr.Ozwald found the method and the thought of Shade-grown for sustainablle coffee early and eventually took the lead in getting those environmental certifications.
However, progress cannot be made with only following the cutromary procedures. The method was pretty systematic.


Shade trees prepared for protecting young plants which are not tolerate of sunshine.
 
1. As planting young trees, shrubs that has different hight and growth speed are planted around them at the same time.

2. Shrubs which are close to young plants grows early and block direct sunshine. Plus, their fallen fruits fertilize the soil with phosphorus and nitrogen, and wither after 3-5 years.

   
3. Then lower trees like banana make bigger shade and their fruits are shared with the farmers and wild animals. 4. Lastly, higher trees like inga and oak surround them all and Shadegrown is completed. Here, 50 kinds of surubs are planted (158 surubs/ha, 4,000 coffee trees/ha).
 

2.Birds of Paradise

Columbia is an important rest area for migratory birds from North America. Shade-grown is a main requirement the Smithonian Migratry Bird Center prescribes, and the content is detailed (shrubs are to be more than 10 kinds, they must be planted so that the branches and leaves spread in 3 layers, the shapes of trees are appropriate for birds' rest place, they bear some fruits for birds, 100% organic, and etc.) Also, the Caccer reccomends use of a high-performance harvesting machine that harvests only fully ripened berrys for shade-grown coffee cultivation.

These rules are strictly followed here in Mesa de los Santos, and there are no coffee plants but bird feeders and nests are prepared instead in some parts, and it was a perfect "Birds' Paradise" where various flowers are blooming.
 

3.Operation of Organic Cultivation

Most irritating process in organic cultivation is extermination of harmful insects. One of natural enemys which eat coffee berrys away is "broca". We were led to a herb field for leaning the measure. They showed us making an undiluted solution by blending insect-eaten berrys and herbs and had hyphae occur, for making 100% organic spray.
Worm-eaten berrys lose commercial value. When we asked Mr.Ozwald of other measures against harmful insects, he slowly stepped into thick grass and pointed a spider's web.

"This is the best measure. We better entrust nature with natural matters, don't we?'"
He did not seem to consider exterminating other insects, and there were some columns of mosquitos which were found in Japan as well, but he proudly said even that was a proof of organic cultivation. Also, poultry farming is common around this area and they have used fowl droppings as manure, without chemical fertilizer since long ago. They said this is one of the biggest aspects that they could get the certifications smoothly.
Organic insect net
 

4.Research on Species

In the farm, there is a great laboratory called museum in which a variety of species are cultivated for reserching a proper cultivating method for this region. Around 1980's, many farmers in Columbia contented the advantage of cultivation in highlands and expelled the native species for crossbreeds, and most coffee lovers dissapointingly said "The taste of columbia coffee has changed."

 

The owner Mr. Ozwald. He's at his
sixties but pretty youthful.

Although we still had that impression, but it was cleared as soon as we found Mr.Ozwald's inquiring mind and enthisiasm in the museum. The most essencial thing is not only "Where" and "What" they cultivate but also "Who" does it.
Among coffee farm inspection, the poducers are the most import thing I regard. Coffee well reflects the producers' character, and each berry grows differently with their affection. That's how we visit every farm so that we learn the charms of coffee enough for reccomending all customers (even if it takes 20 hours for one way...) We always love to fly to the other side of the world to see the proucers.

Mr.Ozwald's hands were badly swollen with mosquite bites. Everytime he is asked, he answers "this is the cost of organic."

 

itsuhiro Yamamoto
HIRO COFFEE Representitive Director

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