Constantino Mena, Fincas El Ceibo - El Chaperno - El Ocote - El Lesquín - El Guachipilín
About twenty-five years ago, around 1985, I planted my first coffee trees. The word "tree" needs to be emphasized, since these trees, which we called "Indian coffee," easily reached five or six meters in height. We used ladders to harvest the beans.
I was a first-generation coffee farmer, and although I have eight children, I still work on my own. Several of my children decided to emigrate to the United States, and although others live a stone's throw away in the nearest town, they don't work the land with me. Anyway, it's too small to support so many people.
That said, I like my job. The income is mediocre at best, but the freedom to decide what I do and when, the nature that surrounds me, and the pleasant year-round weather more than make up for it. And regardless of how much I love the job, I have to admit I'm also getting a bit older, and I've now decided to take every Sunday off, except during harvest season. It's a blessing to have a day off each week because it allows me to spend some time at home and enjoy a much-needed rest.
I'm looking forward to working more directly with one or even several roasters internationally. Of course, I hope this will improve my income, but it's also rewarding to know where my coffee ends up, and it will be interesting and hopefully helpful to receive feedback from the roaster or even the end consumer.
Property details
The five plots together total 3.2 hectares , all located between 1,120 and 1,312 meters .
Varieties Lempira , Catimor , Parainema .
Abundant shade, especially from local trees that have grown naturally on the land since time immemorial, such as the guamo and the pepeto. Also, to a much lesser extent, fruits like bananas, lemons, and oranges.
The farm is Fair Trade, organic and RFA certified .
