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131. Las Cruces – Making a name for itself

2011-03-03 Comments Off on 131. Las Cruces – Making a name for itself

The northern slopes of the Ilamatepec Volcano in Santa Ana may be El Salvador’s finest micro-origin.  During El Salvador’s 2010 Cup of Excellence, 22 of the 30 winning lots came from this part of the Sierra Apaneca.  Nestled there between some of the celebrated coffee estates you may already know are 190 acres of beautiful shade coffee grown by a group smallholder farmers you have probably never heard of: the Las Cruces cooperative.

Since 1980, Las Cruces has worked to provide its members with the basics – housing, electricity, water and help in times of need.  It has also worked hard on its coffee, achieving high levels of productivity and producing some exceptional coffees.  Earlier this year, the cooperative hosted its first visit by a coffee buyer.  More than 30 years after they started, the men and women of Las Cruces are finally starting to make a name for themselves in the specialty coffee industry.

We are pleased to help them introduce themselves here.

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Name: Las Cruces (Asociación Cooperativa de Producción Agropecuaria Las Cruces)

Established: 1980

Members: 57

Location: Las Cruces – Chalchuapa, Santa Ana

Elevation: 1,110-1,450 m

Volume: 1,873 sacks (69 kg)

Certifications: Fair Trade

Las Cruces coffee is imported in the United States exclusively through Royal Coffee and Sustainable Harvest.  It will be available soon in the Vermont Country Blend from Green Mountain Coffee.