Le Verrier Coffee

Le Verrier® Coffee Farm extends over a 10-acre parcel of land located in the high mountains of Saint Lucia and next to the Edmund Forest Reserve, just northeast of Migny, in the Soufrière district. An enchanting combination of primary and secondary rainforest, it is home to the endangered Saint Lucia Parrot, among many other species of tropical fauna and flora. Situated on a gentle slope, at an average altitude of 1,940 ft, the farm enjoys fertile mixed soil of volcanic origin, wind protection by the Piton de Saint Spirit and a rain-forest microclimate suitable for the production of arabica coffee. This prominent location first saw coffee being farmed in 1765 by a French family, immigrants from Martinique: Pierre CARTIER and his wife Françoise. However, it was largely due to brothers Jean-Michel and Modeste BERTRAND Le Verrier, successful immigrant farmers established nearby in modern-day Fond St. Jacques that local coffee production became a widespread activity, culminating in 1775 when half of the arabica coffee consumed in Europe was imported from Martinique and Saint Lucia. Unfortunately, mainly due to socio-economic reasons, this noble agricultural practice was all but permanently abandoned by 1834 when most of the island’s plantations switched to the more lucrative production of sugar cane. Today, we are making it our corporate mission to bring back to Saint Lucia the socially-responsible and environmentally-sustainable, commercial farming of high-quality coffee, for local consumption and export to international markets, and we invite you to follow our journey. Lisa Villa, CEO June 2020