88.75

KALIBUS LA SIERRA COFFEE FARM

SIERRA DE LAS MINAS

SAN AGUSTIN ACASAGUASTLÁN

EL PROGRESO, Guatemala

Pompeyo Castillo

[email protected]

Phone: +502 5550-0591

LOCATION

Kalibus La Sierra is located in San Agustín Acasaguastlán, El Progreso.  Around three hours drive from Guatemala City in the cloud forest of Sierra de las Minas.

FARM DATA

Altitude:  From 5,177.16 feet (1,577.99 meters) to 6,561 feet (2,000 meters

Coordinates:  15º 02’ 22.26” N  // 89º 54’ 51.19” W

Rainfall:  2,300 milimeters

Average temperature:  18 to 20° Celsius

Microclimate:  Cloud forest

Annual Production:  300 bags (69 kg bags parchment coffee)

Farm size:  141 Hectares

Soil:  Clay

Shade trees:  Inga

Harvest:  From January to May

Type of drying:  Sun-dried

Coffee process:  Wet mill

Winner: Cup of Excellence 2014  –first place-

Coffee varieties:  Gesha (Gesha),  Kalibus, mix of varietys Villa Sarchí, Arabica, Caturra

The Sierra de las Minas area is a complex mountainous chain formation covering an area of 242,642 hectares (2,426 km2) with an also complex and rich biodiversity and microclimates.  Its name is due to its jade, marble and other mineral quarries.  In 1990 the Guatemala n government declared a protected biosphere area of 143,000 acres.  Several No Government Organizations, both international and Guatemala n participate in its protection and management.  It is the habitat for 885 animal species including birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles.  There are 63 permanent rivers in the reserve.   Its spectacular forest includes oaks, pines, pinabete (Guatemala n firs) and many other species, plus fungi, bromeliads, orchids, etc.

Kalibus La Sierra begins its story several years prior to Sierra de las Minas being a reserve, specifically on July 3, 1982.  More tan a farm it is really a coffee plantation integrated into the habitat and ecosystem.  Most of the coffee work is developed in the buffer zone.  Kalibus participated actively in the first workshop for the development and management of the newly Sierra de las Minas Reserve promoted by Del Valle University of Guatemala .  There is also an area in the farm destined to being inscribed as a private natural reserve. There is a part of the farm located in the core zone of the Sierra de las Minas reserve.  Most of the trees planted in the farm are indigenous trees of the area.

The farm coffee is selectively picked, its coffee is all washed with pure water from water springs in the property, and then it is processed in the wet mill of the farm.  Many workers and their families benefit from the farm jobs.  Sustainability and the respect for the ecosystem is strongly stressed in the farm management.