Honduras el Puente
The Farm
The connection between Marysabel and coffee is deeply embedded in the story of her family. She represents both the pride of the fourth generation of coffee producers, and a tradition that dates back to 1907 when her husband, Don Felipe García, began bringing coffee to Honduras. Don Felipe’s dedication will include brewing, processing and transporting coffee in mules in leather bags to El Salvador and exporting them to Germany.
Repeatedly awarded in the Cup of Excellence of his country, since the first contest held in 2004 in which Salvador Sans will participate as an International judge and in order to have the honor and the pleasure of knowing them and buying that first prize lot, his trajectory is marked by his tireless commitment to quality and sustainability environmentally friendly, is one of the most popular specialty coffee farms in Honduras.
Everything goes through great and minute work in many areas. Therefore, much of the energy and focus is directed towards improving the sun of the six farms to guarantee a healthy growing environment for the coffee trees. For this purpose, organic fertilizers are produced from cow’s blood and chicken litter with poultry meat and other organic materials. Això is used together with some mineral fertilizers to ensure that coffee trees obtain the nutrients necessary to increase productivity. The tarongs, alvocats, flowers, bananas and other fruits are also grown on the farms, both to complement the food of the collectors and because they create biodiversity on the farms which guarantees good growing conditions and shade for the coffee trees.
To promote more environmental health, they refrain from using pesticides on the six farms. Instead, check the shadow levels to control the rise of smoke and other coffee malfunctions. They have also adopted greater spacing between trees, deviating from conventional practices, to reduce the risk of fongs and rosettes. Its innovative approach reveals that when coffee trees have more space to flower, they grow more healthy and strong. It recognizes the fundamental role of the forests, Moisès and Marysabel preserve some parts of the six farms as forest areas. They understand the impact of deforestation on water sources, dry lands and erosion. His commitment to the maintenance of biodiversity and the forests on the farm reflects his dedication to environmental sustainability.
Unlike traditional farms with large contiguous plots, this approach involves consolidating smaller and dispersed plots in four different municipalities: Chinacla, San José, Marcala and Santa Ana. This decentralization presents challenges in terms of management and collection of trees, but it also results in an experience gratifying to witness the profound impact of “terroir” on the flavor of coffee.
In these four regions, they manage a total of 36 different plots of land, each of which contributes its own resources to our coffee profiles. From the high-altitude climates of Santa Ana to the warmer and more tropical conditions of Marcala, each municipality brings its own six unique characteristics to its cafes. By carefully sourcing coffee from various regions, they ensure that each cup of coffee contains a story of its origin, inviting us to explore the rich profile of flavors that the various farms have to offer. They also have different coffee cultivars, and they are expanding the selection to include Geisha, Java, SL28, Batian, Pacamara, Mokka and more. Each brew adds a unique flavor profile, which is confirmed by excellent specialty coffees.
In 2012, a decisive moment will arrive, as they will embark on various assecat experiments, exploring various techniques, which will lead from the elevations to the shadow meshes to the end of the formation and mechanical sewers. L’objectiu? Discover the secret of preserving the freshness of coffee during extended periods. The answer will be obtained by slowly assembling the coffees, either at low temperature in the Guardiolas for 72 hours or using the African heat sinks under the shade, which guarantees that the coffees maintain their fresh and delicious flavors after brewing.
In 2020, the dedication to sustainability will donate 100% to an important change: relocating the various processing facilities to reduce water consumption. This innovative redesign is mainly based on the gravity of transporting coffee, which minimizes the environmental impact. In the meantime, Moisès is going to expand the six operations and add a complete sec profit, which will give the Pontiff total control from the plantation of coffee beans to the export stage of green coffee.
Process method
Every year, the family optimizes processing methods at their Chinacla coffee mill, paying special attention to environmental protection and sustainability. Among other things, Moises has installed a modern, eco-friendly coffee pulper to save as much water as possible. For example, whereas pulping a 46-kg batch of coffee cherries used to require 120 liters, it now uses 40 liters. All water used for processing undergoes extensive filtration before being released back into the environment, preserving the purity of local water sources.
The cherries are picked at their peak ripeness and taken to the mill, where they are placed in tanks of water before passing through the pulper. Once the pulp is removed, the beans with the adhering mucilage are placed in fermentation tanks for 16 hours; what Marysabel and Moises call “dry fermentation.” After these hours, the coffee is washed with mechanical washers to remove the mucilage. Once the beans have been rolled out, they are still moist and then pre-dried for approximately 6 hours.
They are then transferred to guardiolas (mechanical dryers) for 70 hours to ensure a slow, even drying process for better results.
They are then placed in Grain-Pro bags to ensure the coffee achieves greater homogenization and maintains the desired moisture content. After the resting time, all post-harvest processing and preparation for export are carried out on the farm.
Origin
The “origin” story of Honduras isn’t clear: reports vary on when and how coffee arrived in the country for the first time, although conventional wisdom puts the first year of notable harvest in 1804, in the department of Comayagua. No matter when the plants were brought here, they have played an increasingly important role in the national economy since then, so much so that credit is largely given to coffee for having prevented the national government from breaking during the 2009 financial crisis.
Established in 1970 (and privatized in 2000), the Honduran Coffee Institute (IHCAFE) has sought to improve infrastructure that would encourage the development of higher quality markets, as well as provide more resistant varieties and technological advances, especially to many small producers .The organization is also very involved in organizing and marketing the country’s Cup of Excellences competitions, which have brought a noteworthy increase in attention and credit given to the finest lots the producers here have to offer.
Despite lacking the reputation of other Central American coffee-growing countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala, Honduras has quietly become the largest producer, exporting more volume than any other nation in the region, becoming the seventh largest exporter in the world. While there is certainly quantity coming out of Honduras, it can be harder to find truly quality coffees here, though, because the country lacks the infrastructure to support the more nuanced specialty market its neighbors enjoy.
The Central Bank of Honduras reports that coffee is the main agricultural export for the country, with around 6.1 million bags of the 2015/2016 crop. Unfortunately, low prices and a reputation for inferior quality (“blenders”) have prevented farmers from obtaining the necessary capital to invest in their varieties, their agriculture, profit or commercialization.
Drying is a particularly difficult part of the processing chain that has limited Honduras’s breakthrough as a true specialty origin: Because of the climate, many producer are increasingly turning to fully mechanical drying, which certainly speeds up the drying process but can contribute to overall instability in the moisture content and water activity of the lots, which can result in quality concerns over time.
The prominence of quality competitions and high-profile auctions such as the Cup of Excellence has inspired larger and wealthier producers to plant new varieties, experiment with processing, and make improvements to their technique and infrastructure. Increased research and extension services by IHCAFE has also contributed to heightened awareness of the specialty-coffee market among Honduran producers, and there is continued potential as media and social media attention increases on the nation.
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