Finca La Joya

La Joya (The Jewel) was bought by the Echeverría brothers (of Santa Catalina) in 2003. The farm is located on the very steep slopes of Volcán de Fuego (volcano of fire). Volcán de Fuego is one of Central America’s most active volcanoes, almost constantly grumbling and releasing ash with occasional escalations into pyroclastic flow. Previous eruptions have built up the volcano into a classical cone shape and have contributed to the very rich soil in the area. There is a real catch here for coffee farming, the combination of high altitude (1950 to 2500 meters) and volcanic soil make for ideal coffee growing conditions, but there is always risk of eruption which can wipe out an entire year’s crop and cause serious damage to local communities. The volcano is closely monitored, and advance warning systems are in place for evacuations. The farm has almost fifty hectares in total, making it a smallish farm for the region, with just twenty-two a half planted with coffee. The remaining land is primary forest which has been well preserved. This is a beautiful area, and one of the last natural sanctuaries for native birds and larger wildlife including puma, deer, coyote, and wild cats. La Joya has two coffee varietals planted, Caturra and Bourbon, both are tried and tested in this region and at high altitude. This is the first year we have had La Joya on our counter, and we are enjoying its jammy stone fruit and cocoa flavours.