La Colmena - Honduras 2013 Verified listing

La Colmena farm is located in Las Flores community in the municipality of Santa Bárbara, Department of Santa Bárbara. It has an altitude of 1,650 meters above sea level.

I am part of the third generation of coffee growers in my family. My grandfather Cantalicio Paz, was one of the first coffee farmers in the zone of The Yojoa’s Lake, and my father and uncles have continued harvesting coffee in San Vicente de la Nieve – Ilama / Santa Bárbara.  I bought this property 5 years ago. Those years I have been investing time and effort in my farm with the only purpose to cultivate the best coffee of the region.

What natural resources conservation practices do you follow in the farm?
1 – Many floral and fruit species grown in the farm such as plums, pears and timber trees too, it helps to the fauna and flora conservation.
2 – There is waste water management treatment for the milling process so the water returns without pollution to the rivers.
3 –There is solid waste management treatment with the composting process.
4 – The coffee is grown under the shade of forest trees, besides planting in curves at level to minimize soil erosion.

What is the secret for winning this competition (describe the preparation process of the competing lot)?
I am not interested in quantity; I am interested in quality. I don’t have any secret the Santa. Bárbara’s soil provides to our coffee an exceptional and exotic flavor, we just make a proper process to improve quality, pickers are very meticulous in just cut the ripe cherry. Wet milling is implemented "on time", and the beans are dried in patios and in mechanical dryers; then those are stored in "Grain-Pro" bags to a 10.5% of humidity. We cup the coffee beans separately, in that way we know how to prepare the lots.
How does it feel to be a winner of the Cup of Excellence?
I feel motivated, fortunate and with the desire to continue participating in other competitions, and to improve my farm’s production and it also helps improve my workers’ living conditions by giving them a good salary for the work they do in maintenance, harvesting and the milling process.
Who prepares your coffee for exportation? (Explain how you sell it and to whom)?
I am the official cupper of San Vicente Coffee exporters, and with our technical team we are experts to prepare conventional and specialty lots. I have been selling my coffee to 49th. Parallel Coffee Roasters, for two years.

I am personally motivated to get involved because I am part of a coffee family. It is a good opportunity for the growers to participate in the international market, always with the desire to keep participating in future competitions, besides being beneficial for the grower, we get to know the coffee’s qualities and the best is that it helps us financially.  In San Vicente Coffee Exporters we work directly with the producers who participate in COE. Personally Is my first time as a COE participant, I got the seventh place in this competition.