The Romance of Coffee • by Elizabeth Worley • Boquete, Panama • Finca Luz
When I was a child, growing up between the dairy farms of Connecticut and the Blue Ridge Mountain of North Carolina, I always envisioned myself, one day, as a coffee farmer in the highlands of Central America....
Well. Maybe not.
The truth is my parents always drank Maxwell House Instant and I always thought it was nasty. Even with milk and sugar. Blecch. I had no notion that this wretched brew had ever had a natural plant origin.
I did not develop an appreciation for coffee until I spent some time in Seattle, Washington that coincided with the emergence of the first Starbucks coffee houses. I discovered coffees from Indonesia, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Costa Rica, and Viennese, French and Italian roasts.
In 2002 my husband, Howard Hill, and I took a vacation to Panama. It was a lark only. In Panama City we toured the Canal, delighted in the gaudy Diablo Rojo buses along Via Espagna, ate in world class restaurants, shopped and then boarded a puddle jumper airplane to Bocas de Toro. There we road around in boats, went snorkeling among the coral reefs, luxuriated in the warm turquoise Caribbean waters, and drank lots of margaritas. But, it was hot and steamy, and after a few days of tropical languor, we hopped on a bus and took a wild ride over the Cordillera bound for Boquete.The rest, as they say, is history. Within 48 hours of arriving in this misty, rainbow filled valley we were plotting how we could live here permanently. Within four days we had stumbled upon a neglected coffee farm high on Jaramillo that was for sale. In the process, I actually saw my first live coffee tree, picked a red cherry and tasted the sweet, slimy pulp. In that moment, I knew. The Romance would become a Marriage. We would move to Boquete and grow organic coffee. Café de Mariposa Azul. In the intervening three years we have done just that.
Finca Luz
Our farm, Finca Luz (translated, it means Light Farm), is situated on 12 acres in a cloud forest microclimate at 5000 feet on the side of Jaramillo Mountain, a 9,000+ foot giant that forms the western side of Boquete Valley. It is a lush, tropical highland ecology, planted with naval and Valencia oranges, Peruvian lemons, limes, guawas, avacados, eucalyptus trees, oaks, plantains, 13 varieties of bananas, roses, lilies, orchids and over 12,000 Arabica coffee trees. Positioned as we are, on the lee side of the mountain, we are protected from the strong trade winds that blow down from Costa Rica to the north.To the south we can see the shining waters of the Pacific. To the east, when not hidden in the clouds, Volcan Baru towers 11,700 feet into the sky (and no, She is not extinct, only sleeping). There are open areas of bright sun, shadowed forest glens, three gushing springs, walking trails and benches that invite one to sit, pause, and enjoy. In every direction there is breathtaking beauty. Flocks of emerald parrots wing squawking across the valley in search of fruits. Songbirds in every color of the rainbow provide a continuous background symphony. Blue morpho butterflies (Mariposa Azul!) swoop through the deep green of the coffee. I have heard the capuchin monkeys, but have not yet seen them, though a neighbor reports that they occasionally come trooping through his farm for the oranges and bananas. They are welcome at Finca Luz, as well. We were fortunate to buy a farm that had been largely neglected for a number of years. While it required a lot of clearing, pruning and cleaning, it was not contaminated with years of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. We were also fortunate to find Alexis Miranda, who became our farm manager. A native of Boquete, Alexis grew up knowing about coffee and its cultivation. However, it was the kind of cultivation that came into vogue in the 1970’s when large chemical companies like Monsanto and Dupont began pushing the wholesale use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers as well as the cutting of the natural shade canopy in order to supposedly ‘maximize production and increase profits (for the chemical companies). So in the first year, when we told Alexis, “No chemicals of any kind and do not cut any trees. Organico completo! Sin quimicas! Todos! Nada!,” he was convinced we were gringos locos, verdad! Still, we were also los jefes. He reluctantly complied, certain that all the plants would shrivel up and die the first year for lack of “proper” care. But, they didn’t. We were all relieved.
In the second year, Alexis to attended school and obtained a certificate in organic agriculture. At that point he became a convert and an enthusiastic advocate for organic farming practices. He began to spread the word to other farm managers in the area.
Now moving into our fourth year, he has artfully blended the traditional wisdom of previous generations of coffee growers with his new knowledge of organic ecology. He has personally been responsible for bringing the farm into its current state. The trees are deep green, healthy, and thick with the cherries that will be next season’s crop. Alexis takes enormous pride in his work and we are grateful to him. Finca Luz recently received its organic certification from BioLatina, an internationally recognized organization with stringent requirements and oversight. Without his commitment, we would not have achieved this distinction. Thank you, Alexis.
(This article was originally published on: www.gatewaytopanama.com
To purchase Boutique Coffee in Boquete, Panama please call Native Coffee Roasters • 507-6590-5302
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