Villa del Socorro is a farm located in the Mesa de Quintero of Mérida state at about 1700 meters above sea level in the area of the Mocotíes valleys. This area is part of the Lake Maracaibo basin, which connects with the Caribbean Sea. It is an exceptional area for growing coffee with a climate highly influenced by Lake Maracaibo and very fertile soils. It has a historical and recognized tradition as a producer of one of the best coffees in Venezuela.
In an area of 30 hectares now, the farm produces about 30,000 kg a year of Gesha, Villanueva and Castilla, little known in the area and the product of Oscar Guerrero's initiative. Always under a sustainable criteria through the reforestation of the area and with crops under shade.
History
From truck driver to successful coffee farmer. In 2010, Oscar Guerrero was hired to transport a container of coffee from "Santa Cruz de Mora" (better known as the heart of the coffee region of the Venezuelan Andes) to the neighboring state of Táchira, which borders Colombia. The container of coffee was unloaded from his truck at local customs and then exported to Colombia. This, according to J. Oscar, was the spark that ignited his motivation to get involved in coffee growing and become a coffee farmer. So, in 2012, he returned to his hometown of Guaraque. There, he rented a 15-hectare farm called "Villa del Socorro" for a long term in the parish of Mesa de Quintero, at 1,720 meters above sea level, Guaraque, Mérida, Venezuela. With the collaboration and technical advice of a friend, he planted the 15 hectares with Geisha, Villa Nueva and Castilla coffee. Due to how well the plantation developed and the favorable prices he obtained for his coffees, he decided to rent another adjacent 15-hectare farm that he also planted with the same varieties, and now his plantation totals 30 hectares. News of his great success quickly spread throughout the small community, motivating other landowners to follow in his footsteps.