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Overview

The farm know as Las Mercedes Lo de Catalan belonged to Don Francisco del Rosal Marquez since February 22, 1851. It is located in the The Villa San Martin Jilotepeque currently municipality in the department of Chimaltenango. In the year 1887 was declared as the only heirs of Don Francisco to the ladies: Pilar del Rosal de Avila, Angela del Rosal Rosal and Mercedes Martinez. Then in 1906 the sisters Angela and Pilar decide to sell their shares to Dona Mercedes del Rosal. After Mrs. Rogelia Martinez del Rosal death, her two sons Jose Jaime Martinez and Jose Martinez and Ramiro inherited the farm, dividing it into two equal parts.
In February 1990 Don Jose Jaime Martinez decides to sell his part called Catalan de las Mercedes to his son in law Dennis Kerry James Hammond who was married to his daughter Ruth Maria de Los Angeles Alvarado.
In 1998 Dannis Kerry James Hammond, his wife and son Nicholas Dennis Hammond inherited the farm. They, as lovers of the nature and its conservation have dedicated part of the property as a Private Nature Reserve, and other area of the land is focused in the coffee production. In which vision and purpose is to enlarge and improve it. With the purpose of obtaining a high quality coffee.
The farm has 25% of flat area, it is dedicated to cattle. The rest, which is mostly mountainous. Water is supplied by artesian wells. And because of its condition of rainforest there are a lot of natural varieties of plants, being El Gallito the most grown. During the rainy season is easy to find mushrooms such as San Juan and Anacate, and also see a variety of birds, squirrels and armadillos.