La Leona 2017 - Honduras 2017 Verified listing

JOSÉ MARÍA LÓPEZ TOBAR

LOT# 13

Farm: La Leona

Farmer: José María López Tobar

Farm’s name and location:

La Leona farm is located in La Leona community in the municipality of Concepción del Sur, Department of Santa Bárbara. It has an altitude of 1646 meters above sea level and is located 20 km from the Santa Bárbara city.

What is your farm’s history? Is your farm a family unit? How long has it belonged to your family? How many members make up your family?

I have my farm since 2001, but it was a second activity because I am doctor and I had other people to manage my farm. I am retired three years ago and I became a full time coffee grower and now I am in charge of the maintenance of the farm.

How many persons work in your farm, family members, permanent employees and temporary employees?

Six families work with me temporary to make all the activities in the farm such weeding, fertilizing, harvesting, washing and drying the coffee. During the harvest season we hire almost 20 people to pick and carry the cherries.

What natural resources conservation practices do you follow in the farm?

I planted trees to recover the forest and as life barriers.

What is the shade percentage and the varieties found in your farm?

I have 30% of shade in my farm with guama and fruit trees like lemon, banana and avocado.

What type of fertilization process and rust control do you use in your farm?

I fertilize two or three times a year with a combination of compost and conventional fertilizers like 12-24-12 and a special formula 18-3-18 for coffee crop. Coffee rust is a controlled using cupper solutions and triazoles.

What type of management do you use in your farm (traditional, semi-technical, technical?)

It is managed in a semi-technical way.

Are you part of an association or cooperative?

No, I am an individual farmer

What is the secret for winning this competition (describe the preparation process of the competing lot)?

We had to trained people to pick the cherries ripe, we pay them better to get just red cherries, wet milling is done the same day and the fermentation takes 15 – 24 hours depending on the time of the year, because the temperature is different. When the fermentation is the right point we wash the coffee with water from the mountain. We left the coffee for one or two days for pre-drying and the we dry the coffee in solar driers for 18 – 25 days, we test the moisture percentage permanently and when gets 11% we pack it in GrainPro bags.

How does it feel to be a winner of the Cup of Excellence?

It is motivate to be a winner, I didn’t expect to be in the auction and I think this is an impulse to looking forward.

Who prepares your coffee for exportation? (Explain how you sell it and to whom)

It will be the first time exporting my Coffee.

What is your opinion of the Cup of Excellence?

COE is a big opportunity for farmers to add value to their coffees. Prepare microlots is very demanded in terms of time, effort and money, COE allows to winner farmers recover the investments and having a good profit.

What has been your experience in the Cup of Excellence?

It is my first time as participant and a winner.

The property’s characteristics:

The coffee’s characteristics in the Cup of Excellence: