Rio Helado - Honduras 2009 Verified listing

Manuel Antonio Trochez Baide Rio Helado Wataru for Gabee Yang El Aguacatal, Sta. Barbara Santa Barbara Honduras Catuai Sun and Wet Mill 535 creamy (11), dark chocolate (10), balanced acidity (8), cognac aroma (5), full (5), jasmine (3), vanilla (8), pear (3), banana honey (6), aftertaste red wine (8), nuts (7), almonds (4), honey (3), clear (5), green apple (5), orange peel (4)

Rio Helado

Manuel bought the farm in 1988, out of his own effort,

its located in a natural reserve area, with very favorable conditions of

weather and climate, and he has expanded. Of his family of two kids, he

has a teenage son thats currently in high school, and owns and works 1.4

hectares of farm of his own.

Manuel fertilizes twice a year in the months of June

and September , He likes to incorporate pulp as fertilizer besides the coffee

formula. He does his farms weed control by hand, applies tree pruning,

with selective and sanitary purposes, also regulates shade. He does a very

active sampling for plagues and pest, even that he doesnt have plague yet,

its just a prevention. His harvest starts in November until the end of April

sometimes, collecting only the red cherries, his pickers do the picking

along with people from the community. then he moves his crop by car to wet

mill, taking him approximately ten minutes . Using the less water possible

from a protected water source coming from a near by stream. Fermentation

takes place in cement tanks, an average of 12 hours, under close supervision,

depending on the weather and moisture.

Then the coffee is taken into cement patios to dry .it

takes him about 30 minutes to take by truck his coffee to the nearest exporter.

He says his success lays in picking only the red cherries, good farm management,

drying in patios and screens. He and his family and workers are aware of

the protection of the environment and give the proper process to pulp and

residue waters. Actually coffee production doesnt give enough yield for

maintaining the necessary family income, but he is waiting for better days

to come. This also affects the workers because he is not able to give them

much paid work.