Ebin Castillo
Finca El Matazano
I live in a region where the air smells of wet earth and freshly harvested coffee.
I live in a region where the air smells of wet earth and freshly harvested coffee. El Matazano is not just the name of my farm—it is a piece of my history. These four hectares, though small, hold years of effort and the dream of a better future. Here, at 1,600 meters above sea level, the climate is cool, almost perfect for coffee, but no less demanding. The guamo trees and some young hardwoods provide shade for my plants, while I grow fruits on another piece of land. There is no room for the superfluous: everything must serve a purpose; everything must add value.
Coffee came into my life almost by chance. My parents were more involved in traditional farming: vegetables, potatoes, the usual crops of the area. But coffee, even though they only had a few "native plants" for personal use, caught my attention. It was simpler, required less labor, and, above all, promised a yield that other crops couldn’t match. So, I decided to give it a try. And I wasn’t wrong: today, it is my main source of income. It’s not just about the money, but the satisfaction of seeing how, with relatively little maintenance—thanks to the excellent location of my land—I can achieve a quality that makes me proud.
During the high season, my son—the oldest—joins me in the work. I also rely on three other people, neighbors I’ve known for years, trustworthy folks who don’t need much explanation: they know what needs to be done and do it well. Together, we pick, select, and prepare the coffee with care. I have a simple but functional wet mill at home, where I process my micro-lots. For now, I only work with washed processes, but the dream is to keep experimenting, growing, and improving.
Away from the farm, cattle hold a special place in my heart. I have a few heads, both for milk and meat, mainly for home consumption. But if there’s something that fills me with pride, it’s being part of AproCafé. I am the president of the organization at the municipal level, a responsibility I do not take lightly. We are 700 producers in the municipality, divided into 12 groups, and I was chosen to represent all of them. It’s rewarding: the training, the advice, the feeling that together we can achieve more. And I’m not alone: across the entire department of Lempira, there are 28 presidents like me, each contributing their share.
Coffee, for me, is more than a crop. It’s a way of life. It’s the legacy I want to leave for my children, but also the one I want to build with my neighbors and colleagues. We dream of more micro-lots, better quality, and a future where the coffee from El Matazano is recognized not only for its flavor but also for the effort and passion behind every bean.
And though the challenges are many—the weather, prices, labor—I keep moving forward. Because, in the end, "coffee isn’t planted, it’s inherited." And I want my inheritance to be one that endures.
Farm Data
Altitude:
1,600 meters
Varieties:
IH-Café 90
Lempira
Catuai
Obata
Shade:
Guamo, hardwood trees
