Osmín Alfaro, El Ocotal Farm
When I was 18, I decided to take a chance and travel to the "north"...
That's what we usually call the United States here. I traveled through Guatemala, Mexico, and then all over the United States until I reached Boston. By bus and train, sometimes by boat, or on foot when I couldn't find any other means of transport.
In Boston I earned money working in construction, and I also learned English. As soon as I had earned enough, I returned to my hometown and bought a plot of land to grow coffee, in 2011.
I don't even know why, but I loved it from the very beginning. I love working on my plantation; I often touch the leaves and talk to them—we've become friends. Now I have 16 hectares in an incredibly thriving location, in the middle of a pine forest.
I almost always work here alone. I like being alone, listening to the birds sing, enjoying the silence of the forest, and tending to my plants. But I also love the hustle and bustle of harvest season, when I hire people to help me and we all run around like busy bees. The smell of freshly picked cherries is incredible; it's the most pleasant smell I know, apart from maybe the smell of a cup of coffee freshly brewed with my own beans.
I'm looking forward to working directly with small roasters and, as I can speak and write English, I think I'll find it easy to connect with them.
Property details
My farm is 16 hectares and is located between 1,300 and 1,450 meters above sea level. It's in the middle of a beautiful pine forest, but I've still planted some banana trees, mainly because I love eating them.
The cultivars are Pacas , Lempira and IHCAFE 90 .
The farm is FTO and Rain Forest Alliance certified .
