I started with half of a manzana 20 years ago, since then I love the rural life of a farmer. It has been a continuous effort (referring to ‘El Esfuerzo’) to grow this farm, and now I am proud to say that the farm now exist of 5 manzanes. I don't just produce coffee, I also cultivate vegetables and I have pigs, roosters and chickens and other animals. This farm really is my effort, we work everyday on the farm. If it’s not harvesting, than it might be fertilizing, or stumping. We work everyday. I’m getting old now, I’d like to work a bit less. But I do love this life.

Family generations:

I am the first coffee farmer in my family. We didn’t have much, but I managed to buy this tiny plot and go from there. I hope that my sons continue the tradition, I teach them about coffee farming already.

What's the secret that made you win the contest?

There's no secret.You have to pick well, wash good, ferment good, and that’s what it takes to produce good coffee! It’s my simple philosophy. You should not forget though, it also all has something to do cleanliness of the water.

How do you feel to be one of the winners?

Happy because my coffee made it into the best coffees of Nicaragua . I did not even know my coffee was this good, until this year. Nobody had ever told me my coffee cupped well, and now I might win! I am so proud!

In what you're gonna invest the profit of the electronic auction?

My farm could use some improvements in terms of infrastructure. My wetmill is old and not very efficient anymore. Also, to keep producing this good quality I have to invest in my plants, feed them well with enough fertilizer.

Have you ever participated in the contest before? Did you win?

I haven’t participated before, I didn’t know my coffee was this good. In fact, I always sold my coffee on the market in Jinotega.

What do you think about Cup of excellence?

It's good because we are able to show our quality that we produce. It is not easy for a producer to show off the work he does. If you sell your coffee then you don’t know where it goes to, it’s gone! In twenty years of coffee farming I have never met anybody who bought my coffee.