Las Terrazas del Pisque

Las Terrazas del Pisque is a very special farm. Its owner, Arnaud Causse, has grown a forest in the middle of the desert to plant his coffee trees. 

Located on the Pacific side of the Andes, Las Terrazas del Pisque relies on the 25 species of trees (ingas, acacias, lemon trees, avocado trees, etc.) planted by Arnaud to provide shade. 

Arnaud uses no pesticides and treats his coffee trees with tagetes, lavender and rosemary essential oils that he produces himself. Las Terrazas is a veritable micro-ecosystem. Melliferous plants such as tagetes, lemon balm, oregano and lavender are used both to produce essential oils and to attract bees for honey production.

Legumes supply the farm and also fix nitrogen in the soil. As for the fruit trees, they provide an ideal habitat for birds, which in return eat the fruit fly larvae. The farm is managed on a day-to-day basis by Wilson, an agricultural engineer with a strong sense of sustainable agriculture.