Purchased by the Alburez-Ortega family in the 1830s and named after the convent that previously occupied the grounds, La Merced has been home to many varieties of agricultural production of over the years, including corn, fruit trees, beehives, dairy, lumber, and beginning in the early 1900’s, coffee. La Merced thrived under the care of Don Carlos and his wife Balbina (the grandfather and grandmother of Fernando Diaz) who were responsible not only for starting coffee production on the farm, but also for founding the first school in the region and bringing electricity to the municipality of San Martin Jilotepeque. Devastated by an earthquake in 1976, the main house on La Merced as well as the nearby town of San Martin Jilotepeque went through a period of rebuilding amid intense civil and political turmoil. Today, La Merced is managed by Fernando and his siblings, their love for the farm and commitment to carrying on its legacy clear to see.