We arrived at the San Pedro Sula airport after our trip through Guatemala. San Pedro is a hot city in many ways, but the humidity and heat confirm its reputation, so we didn't delay long before heading to Peña Blanca, our first stop. The road to Peña Blanca winds through asphalt and yellow hues, leading to lush, spectacular vegetation as we approach Lake Yojoa. Very close to its shores is the San Vicente Coffee Mill, one of the main architects of specialty coffee in Honduras. After greeting all the mill staff, Darwin Moreno waited to climb the fabulous Santa Bárbara Mountain, where his cousin, Marvin Enamorado, was also waiting for us.
Darwin and Marvin belong to the Moreno coffee-growing lineage, led by their grandfather, Don Pedro. The small village of El Cedral is located in a valley between two hills where coffee plantations have provided a sustainable way of life for its people. Both producers are very young, and their farms are no larger than 1 hectare, but the quality is excellent. We have purchased their last three harvests and the plan is to grow together. Last year, we carried out a project to improve their facilities and paid an extra €1/kg to build their own new coffee dryers. This gave them greater control over the process, using an air extraction system to prevent excessive temperatures.
Both are extremely sensitive, both in their field care, promoting the sustainability of the area (they've planted native trees that provide shade for the coffee plantations), and in the fermentation process. Our contribution also included a pH and Brix meter so they can achieve more consistent results. This year, the process used was known as the Kenya process. This process allows the coffee to develop more complex notes and richer fruit.
The other family we work with in the neighboring area of Las Flores follows this same process. Doña Florencia Paz is quite old, and her son Olvin has taken over the reins of production on their farm where Bourbon Nance, commonly known as amarillo, grows. This year, to join forces, we purchased, in addition to Doña Florencia's entire production, some bags of Olvin to strengthen the bond.
The above lines are the reason why we believe so strongly in direct contact: we can see the extra work in R&D and the thoroughness of the processes required to continuously improve the raw material. This creates added value for the product, benefiting the entire chain. If we don't keep producers motivated, specialty coffee will never make sense.