Protection of Soil Resources
Soil is one of the four primary elements indispensable for life, thus, indispensable for the existence of coffee trees which provide the beans that produce the beverage we drink. Caring for such an important element is of primary concern to us at Finca El Faro. The physical structure, chemical make-up, and the biological components of the soil determine how well a soil can support plant growth, protect air and water quality, and ensure human and animal health. At Finca El Faro, successful land management practices have been implemented to protect all of these resources, which play an extremely important role in the production of excellent quality coffee beans.
At Finca El Faro, workers weed the entire plantation with machetes; aiding in maintaining a healthy ecological environment. The use of herbicides is strongly prohibited, thus maintaining a vast array of vegetation in cohabitation with coffee shrubs; creating a healthy environment for the existence of a healthy soil food web. If herbicides were to be employed, a reduction of food web complexity would be experienced. The healthy soil food web created and maintained is critical to major soil functions including:
- Sustaining biological activity, diversity, and productivity
- Regulating the flow of water and dissolved nutrients
- Storing and cycling nutrients and other elements
- Filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilizing, and detoxifying organic and inorganic materials that are potential pollutants.
In addition, by avoiding the employment of herbicides, we allow the roots of the existing vegetation to serve as anchorage of the topsoil, thus reducing the impact caused by erosion. At Finca El Faro we believe that topsoil is what gives life to soil, due largely to its humus content and the fact that it is aerated and contains the bacteria and other microscopic organisms which are lacking in the subsoil.
In order to limit the loss of topsoil, and at the same time allow itself to regenerate, Finca El Faro has employed various agricultural techniques. For instance, vegetative barriers are planted for support and anchorage. We are currently planting approximately 1,554 plants per acre. The amount of plants employed per acre for vegetative barriers may vary depending on the topography and the degree of grade encountered.
Water attraction and retention tanks, which act as buffer tanks to diminish the strength of water currents resulting from rainfall, are built along potential landslide areas. The soil accumulated inside the tanks is later employed at the nursery, due to its high concentration of fertile soil.
Shade trees are also planted which aid for anchorage and support. In addition, shade trees act as umbrellas diminishing the strength of rainfall.
Coffee plants are established and arranged on the field employing techniques that help prevent erosion. These techniques include level and contour curves, which respect the original topography and prevent landslides by helping diminish the force of water currents resulting from rainfall. In addition, singular terraces are made for each and every coffee shrub. Fertile soil that has been transported by water currents is deposited in these terraces. Our goal at Finca El Faro is to loose the lest amount of topsoil possible, therefore; allowing coffee shrubs to flourish in fertile soil.