Next to the Quinta Tesoro de la Sierra Madre one encounters the Hacienda de La Vega, a nearly 300 acre stretch along the El Coralillo section of the Rio Corona. The entire surface of the La Vega spread, save for ten or twelve acres, was re-cleared of the old, worn out, repeatedly freeze damage Valencia oranges and prepared for the planting of a very special sour-sweet lime that has become heavily sought by purveyors in places like Mexico City, Europe, Japan, and especially in the United States of America.
Our neighbour, the owner of what you see before you has put a considerable pretty penny in the re-clearing, research, sapling purchase, and planting of this new venture. There is nothing haphazard about the layout or preparations. Buyers are have already been circulating around this prime growing area, looking for those who have already decided to go the route of the fancy limes.
One thing that the Santa Engracia area has going for it is its unique mix of very wet, very dry, very hot, to pretty darned chilly climate. Being right on the Tropic of Cancer, near the coastal lowlands, and adjacent to mountains ranging from 5,000 to 13,000 feet bring upon the citrus, and especially these limes, certain very positive responses. Freezes are very rare, and even at that, these particular limes are very recuperative. Limes usually do better than oranges and grapefruit with cold stress, and these particular ones, to restate, are even more resilient than the norm.
In keeping with the way business runs and must run during these times in Mexico, the family prefers to remain a bit hermitic concerning various of the fine points and other administrative matters about this investment. For my part, I am glad to see my friend go into the venture while still young enough to enjoy the fruits of his and his wife's labours. (Is that a pun?)
More later,
El Gringo Viejo
