Colombia Fidencio Castillo Washed

FIDENCIO CASTILLO & EL PEDREGAL

Fidencio Castillo operates El Pedregal farm in El Pedregal town in the San Lorenzo municipality of Nariño. His career as a coffee producer began with just 1,500 Caturra and Castillo trees, but with the support of his wife, Esmerelda Guerrero, their five daughters, and the help of their neighbors, Fidencio now has 20,000 coffee trees in production.

Fidencio’s farm was one of the first farms to grow coffee in El Pedregal town; most farmers choose to not grow coffee due to the temperatures reaching as low as 10–12°C. However, Fidencio has proven that the region can support quality coffee production. The Juanambú stream runs near the farm, supplying water to the coffee trees and other flora. The land is planted with many species of tree, including oak, pine, cypress, myrtle, banana, and fique, which act to preserve the soil and protect the coffee plants from the winds. The land also benefits from the care it is given by Fidencio, who ensures that the soil gets good nutrients from organic fertilizer and compost three times per year.
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