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Overview

In the early nineteenth century, in the courtyards of the convents and of the noble houses of the cities of Santa Ana and Sonsonate, in the shade of mango, cashew and fruit trees, grew a beautiful plant of glassy green leaves. This plant´s full bloom was during the month of may, making the mountains look like snow had fallen. In November when the rains ceased, the shrub held the bright red seed that in the twentieth century would become known as the “golden bean” and would support an agricultural economy, which based its prosperity on the precious grain. Tomas Regalado was one of the main promoters of this crop. Near dawn, he used to leave his home and enjoyed the tour through the foothills of the Santa Ana Volcano and the Cerro Verde, between the coffee grown in the shade of pepetos and madrecacaos. He felt that those lands were giving birth to his childrens future and who knows if not, the future of El Salvador . Often, he visited the farms with his closest friends and talk to them about this beloved plant which he believed vital to the future of El Salvador : he thought coffee cultivation, care of water, trees and fauna, and the processing of agricultural products for export to foreign markets would be essential for the following generations. Tomas enjoyed in this intensely black soil, as it gave the desired product such as coffee. When it was midday, he had lunch in the shade of a grove, ending the meal with a milkshake sprinkling of anise and the honey juice of the cane with a strong cup of coffee, plus a cigar rolled by the hands of the young and lovely woman who was waiting for him at home. This is how he transferred his admiration for this majestic product to his offspring, teaching them his knowledge and his ritual of drinking a cup of coffee. He also taught the new generations all the effort involved in its planting, cultural practices such as pruning and off shoot thinning and many more. These traditions serve them well on the correct selection of the grain at optimum ripeness, and take great care on the processing stage which is done at the family´s mill called “La China”. Because of his keen insight and ability, he became the owner of several farms such as Buenos Aires in the foothills of the Santa Ana volcano, El Condor located in Canton Las Cruces, and El Torogoz at the foot of the Hills of Cerro Verde. All farms are located in the “Gold Belt” a very well known area for the great coffee it produces. Torogoz is located in the limit between Santa Ana and Sonsonate, at an average altitude that 1,500 meters above sea level, bordering with a National Forest, which preserves trees, fauna and beautiful orchids of dazzling beauty and virginity. Wildlife such as white-tailed deer, ocelot, coati, armadillos, pocket gopher and many other species remain almost imperceptible, protected by this natural habitat. Workers of this farm have been taught to respect and protect the existence of this rich treasure.

Additional information:

Location: Canton Lomas de San Marcelino, Cerro Verde
Coffee varieties: Bourbón and Pacas
Type of Shade: Pepeto, Copalchi, cypress.
Average Annual Rainfall: 2,800 mm
Average Temperature: 20 ºC
Type of Soil: Sandy Clay
Annual Production: (60kg) 58 bags
Mill and company where lot was process: La China mill / Regpa, S.A. de C.V. Other land: Neighbouring protected area “Los Volcanes” National Park
Fauna: White tail deer, coati, pocket gopher, armadillos, torogoz, tigrillo (member of the cat tribe, eg ocelot, lynx), magpie. Flora: different types of orchids

GPS Coordinates:

Latitude: 13°499.72 N
Longitude: 89°3646.20 W