Fernández - Honduras 2008 Verified listing

Fernandez Cesar started his farm in the year of 1985,inherited by his father, Mr.
Amado Fernandez, what makes him second generation of coffee producers. He works and lives of his coffee land and production. This farm has been worked personally and is the economic source, for his family of eight members, income, he has 3 permanent employees and 15 temporary during harvest. His father, Don Amado, was one of the first persons in the area that started cultivating coffee. Cesar fertilizes twice a year, in the month of may and July, at the beginning of the rainy season. he does his farms weed control by hand, applies tree pruning, with selective and sanitary purposes, and regulates shade for the whole farm. Due to the farms altitude he has no plague or pest problems but he always take samples for prevention. His harvest starts in January until May sometimes, collecting only the red cherries. then he moves his crop with the pickers to the wet mill, located inside the farm, where he pulps the coffee in a 3 stream pulper, engine propelled, in good condition. using the less water possible from a protected water source that come directly from the mountain to protected tank. His fermentations are done in cement tanks for and average of 12 hours, depending on weather and moisture conditions. Then the coffee is washed and taken into cement patios to remove the water excess, this is done in the exporters patios. It takes Cesar at least 45 minutes to transport by pick up truck his coffee to the nearest facility or exporter. He says his success lays in picking only the red cherries to improve quality, giving the coffee a good wash on time after fermenting, besides an efficient milling. He and his workers are aware of the protection of the environment and give the proper process to pulp and residue waters. Due to the recently past coffee prices crisis, which hit him very hard, has stopped him from starting better quality projects.