The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the west. It's known for its beaches, resorts and golfing.
Zorzal
Zorzal Cacao is an agroforestry project of Reserva Zorzal -- a 1,019-acre private bird sanctuary and 130-acre organic cacao demonstration farm in the northern mountains of the Dominican Republic. Reserva Zorzal sets aside seventy percent of its land to be forever wild and is committed to reducing climate change through a collaborative approach to conservation and reforestation. They are part of a carbon-offset project with sixteen other landowners, employ wildlife monitors in the community, and serve as a model for the integration of conservation and sustainable agroforestry development. Zorzal is the Spanish word for “thrush” and refers to the Bicknell’s Thrush, a rare, migratory songbird that winters in the tropical forests of the preserve.
The 130 acre organic cacao farm is broken into 10 parcels (aka Parcelas). Each Parcela has its own planting design of specific clones. The majority of the harvest is from Parcela 1, an existing 26 acre cacao grove they are restoring by grafting onto the root stock. Based on the population structure of Parcela 1, the cacao is predominantly of the Amelonado ancestry, which tends to provide a deep chocolate base with fruity flavor.
wet beans are transported to the Zorzal fermentorium located in Los Arroyos, approximately 45 minutes from Reserva Zorzal. Beans are placed into wooden boxes and ferment through 4 phases over 6 days.
Fermented cocoa beans are dried in Solar tunnels on mesh tables for 4 days and finished on cement for 3 days.
When cacao beans reach 7% moisture they are exported in 154-pound sacks to artisan chocolate makers throughout the world.
We Care
One of the sanctuary’s founders, Dr. Charles Kerchner, runs Zorzal Cacao in line with the overall vision of Reserva Zorzal. They also grow macadamia, banana and other foods suitable for sustainable production in a tropical agroforestry system. Zorzal Cacao selects and grafts its own cacao trees with cacao varietals specifically chosen for the fine flavor chocolate market. The trees are shade-grown to promote wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Zoral Cacao will also source cocoa from neighboring farmers who are like minded and take part in the conservation project.
Flight Chocolate, along with other conscientious artisan bean-to-bar manufacturers, actively exceeds Fair Trade pricing norms. This collective approach ensures that the dedicated farmers, who are the backbone of our industry, receive the recognition and compensation they rightfully deserve.
