El Quetzal

El Quetzal farm is a large and immaculately well-managed operation at an altitude of around 1,200-1,300m in the Matagalpa department of central Nicaragua.

In the late 1960s, Roberto’s parents inherited the farm from his grandfather, Stephen McEwan, a Scottish émigré. Of these 280 manzanas, an area of 190 manzanas would become the farm that is now known as El Quetzal. Back then, the trees were planted sparsely with just 2,500 plants/manzana in the belief that this would yield more coffee per manzana with all plants producing. Roberto’s father was the first in Nicaragua to challenge this method and instead planted (sun-grown) coffee at a density of up to 6,800 plants/manzana (almost 3 times as many!). Half of the plants were kept in production while the other half were rested. Planting density is now optimised at around 3,500-4,500 plants/manzana yielding an average of 1lb (454g) of finished green coffee per plant. The farm is planted out with Caturra (40%), Catuaí (40%) and Catimor (20%). There is also an experimental 1-hectare lot of a Javanese varietal.

Extensive infrastructure projects are underway on the farm. Construction of additional high-quality housing for both the 150 permanent employees and 450 seasonal pickers has been completely recently at El Quetzal and is being rolled-out at neighbouring Los Altos farm. These facilities include running water and a separate washing and kitchen blocks. The old latrines have been replaced with toilet blocks and a septic tank and bio-digestor now provide methane gas for cooking. It also keeps any waste water from entering the river system.

There is a school, library, newly-completed day-care centre and hydro-electric generator. The school provides places for the children of permanent workers and also runs a summer camp during the vacation months for the children of seasonal workers. The day-care centre offer much-needed childcare and means than mothers no longer have to take their infants to the fields during harvest time or leave them alone at home. Sports and music facilities are also available.

El Quetzal borders the El Arenal national park which is part of the protected bio-corridor which is being set aside for the quetzal, an exotic Central American native bird species and a revered national symbol in Guatemala.