El Aguacate - Honduras 2011 Verified listing

Describe the history of your Farm: Your traditions? Start planting coffee in 2004, 2.5 hectares obtained by inheritance, and the rest bought by his own efforts. Family generations? Have traditionally been coffee farmers for 4 generations. Which technologies are used? Cleans are performed using the machete and the Pando, (No herbicide is used) shade regulation and makes sanitary selective pruning of the coffee plantation, removing the exhausted plant material. Describe the production process of your coffee from the ground to the cup....... How do you fertilize? When and how do you do it? Performed with the formula 12-24-12 plus urea in a 3 to 1 ratio. It’s applied in June and July at doses of 3 ounces per plant; the application is done in half moon. How do you do pest controls? Almost no pest control done because there are no pests or diseases. This is a naturally balanced area because of its high level. The incidence of pests and diseases is very low. What kind of shade do you use? Inga, plantain and other mountain trees are used. When and how do you harvest the coffee? Starts in the month of January ending in May. The coffee is cut selectively and individually, only the single ripe beans; and before the pulping, the green and dry beans are separated. How do you transport the fruit to the wet mill and how long does it take? The cutters take the coffee to the mill where it’s received; it takes 10 minutes. Do you have a motor pulper and what conditions is it in? Has a 3 jets pulper, powered by an electric motor. Both are in good condition. What type of water is used to clean the coffee? Is it clean? Is it recycled? Clean water is used. No need to recycle for washing after it’s reached its point of fermentation. How long do you leave the coffee fermenting? It takes for the fermentation of coffee 14 hours on hot days and 30 hours on cold days. How do you dry the coffee? The coffee is sold wet, pre-dried on patios when there is no rainy weather. How do you carry grain to the exporter or to the mill and how long does it take? It is transported in a pick-up vehicle; making sure that the back of the vehicle is clean to avoid contaminating the beans. It takes 40 minutes to the mill. What are you doing to preserve the environment and ecology of your farm? The existing forest is taken care of, and being careful of not contaminating the water sources. The coffee pulp is integrated into the farm as a source of organic fertilizer and the residual waters are treated by the farm in oxidation lagoons.