87.38
Farms name and location:
The farm islocated in Yaruchel, Belen, Ocotepeque, Honduras , Central America; cultivatedat an altitude of 1581 meters above sea level and is located 60 km fromSanta Rosa, Copan; it takes approximately 90 minutes to cover that distance.
What is your farms history? Is your farm a family unit? Howlong has it belonged to your family? How many members make up your family? I bought this land 15 years ago, then it was used to plant potatoes andwith my older brothers help, we started growing coffee, the Pacas varietyand we at the time got a very good price for it, especially in the Salvadoranmarket. Now I own the property and all my family is involved in the agriculturalactivities. Coffee cultivation provides most of my familys income, besidesit is an activity in which it is easy to get financing.
Howmany persons work in your farm, family members, permanent employees andtemporary employees? When the time comes to pick the ripenedcoffee cherries, a lot of people from the community work for us, they likeit because we pay more than the other farms, because we expect them to classifythe coffee cherries by the color tone, paying a better price for the ripenedblood colored coffee cherries. We hire around 20 temporary workers to pickthe harvest and 3 permanent employees, not including the children that comealong with the parents, for the children and the adults the harvest is likea festivity. What natural resources conservation practicesdo you follow in the farm? We use as live barriers a plant calledIzote, which holds well to the ground and its flower is eaten in our area,and the coffee is cultivated in contours to prevent soil erosion, besidesthe weeds are cut with machete and we dont use hoes or herbicides. Thepulp is kept under a roof so when the next rainy season approaches, we useit in the fertilization of each plant. What is the shadepercentage and the varieties found in your farm? Due to thealtitude and the climate found in the area where the farm is located andcold winds and cloudy forests, the shade is managed at 25% and there areeucalyptus, guama, liquidambar and some fruit trees like avocado. What type of management do you use in your farm (traditional,semi-technical, technical?)The coffee pulp is used as a sourceof organic material; but we also use chemical formulas suggested by IHCAFE,to secure and guarantee the harvest and the management of the farm is traditional.
Are you part of an association or cooperative? Iam a member of an enterprise of associated production farmers called ARUCO.What is the secret for winning this competition (describe thepreparation process of the competing lot)?In this ninth editionof the Cup of Excellence, I won ninth place out of 20 competitors and Isincerely believe that when you are part of an organization you get to knowprocesses and opportunities to promote who we are and the type of coffeewe grow; in our circle there are many cupping sessions and my coffee hasbeen present in many of them, and by the scores obtained they have helpedus prepare for competitions like the Cup of Excellence. How to manage ourcoffee starting from the picking process is now a culture to try to prepareit as clean as possible, since from years ago we learned to believe thatcoffee is passion-nourishment-health.
How does it feel tobe a winner of the Cup of Excellence? I consider it a blessinghaving reached ninth place among many coffees nationwide and its a rewardfor the hard work that it takes to take care of the coffee from its growthwhen it starts as a small plant. I am sincerely extremely happy to knowthat I will be known even if its just through my photographs, my neighborswill be more encouraged to do things better, and it is a possibility thatmy country Honduras will also be more recognized due to good things likemy coffee.
Who prepares your coffee for exportation? (Explainhow you sell it and to whom)The picking process and the dryingprocess to 12% I do it in my farm and the rest of the process followingthe requirements needed for Cup of Excellence is done by the exporting companyBeneficio de Cafe Santa Rosa, in Santa Rosa de Copan.
Whatis your opinion of the Cup of Excellence? It is a showcase forour coffee, it doesnt pay the coffee fast, few growers have the privilegeto enter the online auction, IHCAFE does a lot, it is hard to place a valueon it.
What has been your experience in the Cup of Excellence? It is the first time I participate, the process is expensive, and no financingis available for this activity and the small growers are very limited toparticipate.
Rank | 9 |
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Farm Name | Buena Vista |
Farmer/Rep. | Juan José Alvarado |
Altitude | 1500 |
Country | Honduras |
Year | 2012 |
Size (30kg boxes) | 23 |
City | Belén Gualcho |
Region | Ocotepeque |
Program | Honduras 2012 |
Month | - |
Aroma/Flavor | AROMA: vanilla, plum, raisin, cherry, baked apple, pineapple, almond, tropical fruits, herbal,FLAVOR: banana, honey, lemon, lavender, jasmine, chocolate, molasses, rose, cranberry |
Acidity | blueberry acidity, round, mild, malic |
Other | round, cinnamon, maple in finish |
Processing system | Wet Process , sun dried |
Variety | Pacas |
Coffee Growing Area | 1.4 |
Farm Size | 1.4 |
Auction Lot Size (lbs.) | 1518 |
High bid | 15.10 |
Total value | 22921.8 |
High bidders | The Coffee Company, DE Masterblenders 1753 |