Wilfredo Mancía, Los Hermanos Farm

I primarily advise farmers who grow avocados, mangoes, bananas, and, of course, coffee. So spending my days in the fields, touching, feeling, and smelling the earth, has always been a part of my life.

But in 2012, my wife received a plot of land from her brother, and we immediately knew we wanted to grow coffee. Coffee rust had just hit hard, which was a blessing for us because it allowed us to start from scratch and plant the entire farm however we saw fit. My training and many years as a technician were a great help.

We decided to plant Parainema and Obata, two varieties that offer consistent quality and are quite resistant to diseases and pests. Furthermore, the land is at 1,500 meters and is relatively sheltered from the wind and sun. Truly, the circumstances are ideal for cultivating exquisite coffees.

Today, my wife and I focus primarily on our coffee business and are always looking for new opportunities, more land, and different varieties. Our dream is to start cultivating Geisha, something completely new for Honduras. But we're not afraid of being the first, or of experimenting. On the contrary, we think it's necessary to take risks from time to time if your goal is to be better and more productive.

In the 2019 harvest, we prepared two microlots, one of 84 and another of 84.5, and in 2020 we prepared a coffee that scored 86. So we are progressing and want to increase our scores, as well as diversify the processes.

Honey is appealing because it offers such rich flavors, but we also want to start producing anaerobic coffee soon. Ideally, we'd like to become trusted partners with one or two roasters somewhere in the world and grow the coffee with them, not just for them. With their knowledge of their customers' taste preferences and our expertise in the field, we'll be able to serve tailor-made coffees—just imagine!