La Perla is a parish located 100 Km North West of Quito. Coffee growing in this area has become a viable alternative in the last 15 years and is now the main source of income for most of its inhabitants, taking over from sugar cane and cattle. Coffee is a crop that offers better pay to land workers but there are also more risks involved. Guillermo Lomas is a young producer who is not put off by the risks coffee growing take. He was born in La Perla and has been working in this land from a very young age, therefore knowing the climate, the soils and the many tricks necessary to grow a healthy crop. Guillermo was introduced to coffee by his older brother, Fabian, also a coffee producer. It was in 2015 when Guillermo started plating coffee in Finca La Carolina in an area of 1 hectare. Now, the farm has expanded its production to 5 hectares. The varieties planted in La Carolina are Typica Mejorado and Sidra, two varietals that were developed specifically for Ecuadorian soils and have now become the most representative varietals of Ecuadorian coffee for their exotic profiles and quality. La Carolina has its own washing and drying station. Most coffees produced here are washed processed, but other processes such as honey or anaerobic fermentations can be made on demand. This farm sits on the western foothills of the Andes, where the warm air currents from the pacific meet the cold air from the high mountains. This factor makes this area exceptional for coffee growing but also difficult as rainfall is very high. The area is surrounded by protected cloud forests which holds unique biodiversity in an exuberant nature. This bioregion is called ‘Choco Andino’. Fun fact: The variety Typica Mejorado was developed in Ecuadorian soils and is a hybrid between an Ethiopian Heirloom and Red Bourbon. Mistakenly named ‘Improved Typica’ this varietal is not a descendant of the Typica lineage.