In Usulatan, on top of the Tepeca volcano, you find Las Palmas, owned by the famed Baraona family, affectionately known as the Kings of Pacamara.
The farm is located on a volcanic mountain range surrounded by the cities of Berlin, Santiago de Maria and Joy. The cultivation of coffee at the farm was started in 1890 and according to family accounts, the original seeds of the property, and the mother plants were imported from Antigua Guatemala.
The coffee is separated into small to medium sized batches based up on different parts of the farm and coffee varietals. Currently the farm cultivates the varietals Bourbon Elite, Pacas and Pacamara, but the farm has also taken part in a Procafe project growing different varietals. As a result they have plots of native coffee trees, natural mutants and hybrids originated from all over the world
Las Palmas which is part of the Los Pirineos farm was one of the pioneers in El Salvador to build its own Micro Coffee Mill. The family still experiments with processing and drying methods. During the production process well-trained pickers are given good incentives to select ripe cherries only. Jotagallo eco pulpers with mechanical demucilager are used to remove the skin, pulp about 70% of the mucilage. The parchment is soaked overnight in clean water before it’s washed. The coffee is then sun dried under shade on raised beds for 3-4 weeks.
Coffee production in El Salvador has fuelled it’s economy and shaped the country’s history for more than a century. Coffee in El Salvador has traditionally provided more than 50% of the country's export revenues, but don’t let its diminutive size fool you. It produces exceptional coffees to a consistently high standard.
The key coffee growing areas are in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range, Central Belt, Chichontepec, Cacahuatique Mountain Range & Tecapa-Chichontepec Mountain Range.