At an Early Age (Nursery)
We strongly believe that the key to survival in any type of cultivar relies on the creation and maintenance of a botanical diversity. Finca El Faro, incorporates a vast array of botanical varieties in order to reduce genetic similarities or homogeneity.
If such homogeneity did in fact exist, our coffee plantation could be exposed and prone to decimate if it were to be victimized by a severe attack of any type of pest. An ecosystem which possesses genetic diversity tends to be more sustainable and efficient in regards to tolerance of such imbalances. In many cases, the problem is controlled and shared with other species within the ecosystem. Most of the time the cure is found within the plantation.
In order to create coffee plantations capable of resisting pests and other adversities, we have employed a grafting technique called Injerto Reyna. This technique was discovered in Guatemala, and it is performed by employing the species Coffea arabica on top of the species Coffea canephora. It should de noted that cup quality is not altered during such process. The new root system though not immune to pests and adversities, becomes more tolerant and therefore less dependant on the application of pesticides. Mycorhiza fungi are incorporated to the coffee plants root system, thus creating a symbiotic relationship between the mycelium of the fungi and the roots of the plant. This symbiotic relationship creates a more efficient and tolerant root system, which in consequence depends less on the application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
In addition, worm castings are applied regularly to the each and every coffee shrub. The application of worm casts into the soil contributes by introducing a vast array of beneficial microorganisms, nutrients, hormones and bacteria which aid in the enrichment of the micro flora and micro fauna, thus, reducing the dependency of synthetic products.