Las Cascadas - Honduras 2010 Verified listing

Farm

Information:
Las Cascadas Farm is located El Comun, Santiago, La Paz. Coffee is the region’s main product. The farm is located in the Montecillos mountain range, surrounded by thick vegetation such as liquidambar, pine and guama trees, and home of the following animals that live in the wild such as: armadillos, taltuza, squirrels, lowland pacas and variety of birds and pigeons. The native Indian population of this zone is the Lenca community. Coffee was initially grown in a mid level altitude like Santiago, La Paz, but in the 1980’s coffee was grown in strictly high grown altitudes and this is how El Comun was identified as one of the best places to grow high quality coffee due to its excellent climate conditions and altitude, confirming it with its success in previous COE competitions. Conventional growing methods are used, with a nutritional plan according to soil analysis, and growth under shade, manual weed and pest control, selective pruning and shade regulation. Shade is obtained with permanent plants such as Ingas and temporary Musaceas and fruit trees such as avocado. The harvest is done collectively by hand, with local man force, harvesting only ripe and immediately processing in the mill. Coffee cherries are transported in sacks and it is immediately processed within 6 hours from harvest. Pulping is done in dry, and it is then washed with clean water and then fermented in tanks for aprox. 24 hours. Coffee is then dryed in cement patios, which takes about 3 days.

About his family:

He begins growing coffee as part of his father’s family tradition and with his savings he buys half an hectare, with time he’d buy and grow more land until in 2005 he buys a farm owned by a friend of the family owning now over 20 hectares. He has been growing coffee for over 18 years and it is now part of his life. He has a wife and 4 kids.

What is the secret of your success?

Train the help at the farm, in harvesting as well as the processing activities, and to be personally involved in every step of the process as well as the special climate and altitude conditions of were my farm is located. How do you feel being a winner of the Cup of Excellence Honduras 2010?I feel very happy and satisfied that my efforts for keeping the quality of my coffee have accomplished a recognition of tenth place in Honduras COE.

His experience in the Cup of Excellence:

He has participated in 4 competitions making it as a winner in the last 2.