El Burro Estate
Name of Farm: EL BURRO ESTATE
Owner: Lamastus Family.
Contact:
Wilford Lamastus
Boquete, Chiriqui, Panama
Tel: (507) 6673-6703.
E-mail: wlamastusb@gmail.com
Country of Origin: Panama. Growing Region: Potrerillos, Dolega
Size of Farm(s): Total: 65ha. Coffee: 30ha. Forest reserve: 35 ha.
Milling Date: Jan-April
Growing Altitude: 1,575-1,800m.
Varieties: Geisha 50%, Catuai 50%
Soil: Deep, Sandy-Loam.
Average yearly precipitation: 3200mm.
Rainy season: from May to November.
High sun intensity from: late February to early May.
Months of Flowering: March, April and May. # of Flowerings 4 or 5.
Unusual Weather Conditions for this growing area: foggy and misty during the first half of the dry season.
Growing Conditions: Specialized. Shade grown and surrounded by a private virgin-forest reserve and a National Park. The farm is host to many exotic native species of plants, birds and mammals including the Quetzal (bird) and the jaguar, biological rich and diverse cloud forest.
Fertilization: Hand applied, Chemical fertilizer, 2 or 3 times per year. NO insecticide, NO herbicide, Fungicide 2 times per year.
Conservation Practices: Bird and exotic mammals’ sanctuary. We have planted several species of native trees that feed the birds in the coffee plantation as shade.
Main Labor: Nögbe Indians
Labor practices/benefits: Housing, cooking, and others.
Processing Information
Washed, Natural, and Honey.
Drying Methods: Sun in bastidor/screen, and Guardiola rotating driers. 10 to 12 days to finish drying.
Other relevant information:
More than half of this farm is located within the Volcan Baru National Park a protected ecological reserve and sanctuary for exotic plants, birds and mammals (like the tropical tiger). Hunting has been prohibited in this farm for decades. The Baru volcano is one of the highest volcanoes in Central America, with 14,000ha and 7 different climate zones depending on the elevation. Coffee in this farm is grown up to 1 8000m.
This coffee is produced under a unique world-condition for several reasons: first the farm is located at a very high elevation, it is grown in rich young volcanic soils, the temperatures are low, there is lots of fog and mist during the dry season, the coffee trees are surrounded by virgin-native cloudy rain forest, the nights get cold here thereby taking a tree from 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 years to start producing (2 or 3 years longer to produce than average), these low temperatures also extend the ripening time 1 month longer (thereby the development of the bean). All these unique growing conditions show in a distinguished cup.