Villa España - El Salvador 2009 Verified listing

Overview

Villa Espana is a coffee plantation that has been with the family for five generations. Don Manuel Ariz left Galicia, Spain in the 1850’s to “make the Americas” and together with his wife, Dona Josefa Herrera, started their coffee business in the town of Concepcion de Ataco in Ahuachapan, El Salvador . Ataco is an area of high elevations and fertile soil, home to ancient civilizations. Villa Espana became the cornerstone of their enterprise, and is where they built their home, a house that still stands today. Germany became their main coffee market, and is where the following generations have been educated. Today, Jorge Mena, member of the sixth generation, is studying at the University of Potsdam near Berlin to be ready to take over the business with the same devotion to quality of his ancestors, and be able to meet the standards of the most demanding markets. The results at The Cup of Excellence reflect the care with which the coffee is produced, employing traditional methods that are friendly to the environment. The family takes pride in its traditions, and sees coffee growing as more than a business, it is truly an extension of their culture and values that translate into a product to be enjoyed by the most demanding tastes. The lot that was separated to compete came from two plots called “El Matazano” and “El Muerto” which were selected because they have shown over the years to produce the best cup. The picking of the lot lasted 7 days using highly trained workers who picked only the ripe cherries and for this were paid well above the legal wage. The family attributes this success to the fact that they have been working over the years to reestablish traditional ways of cultivation, letting the farm rest and produce without stress, using only the necessary amount of fertilizer. Their challenge is to incorporate the inhabitants of the town of Ataco to the globalized world without losing traditions and values, and at the same time, preparing them for the future with a sound education and adequate social conditions.

Additional information:

Coffee varieties: Bourbón
Type of Shade: Inga Sp., pepeto, gravileo,
Average Annual Rainfall: 2,200 mm
Average Temperature: 20º C
Type of Soil: Clay loam
Annual Production: (60kg) 165 bags
Mill and company where lot was process: Cooperativa Cuzcachapa de R.L.
Fauna: Armadillo, opossums, squirrels, snakes, rabbits, orioles, butterflies and spiders, etc.

GPS Coordinates:

Latitude: 13° 52’ 16.5’’ N
Longitude: 89° 51’ 37.4’’ W