Africa
Honduras El Manzano
COFFEE DETAILS:
region |
Santa Elena, La Paz, Honduras |
farm/Co-op |
El Manzano |
elevation |
5250 feet |
process |
Fully washed |
varietal |
Catuai |
tasting highlights |
Marmalade, Medjool Date, Clove |
Coffee Story:
This is our third year showcasing Maria Elena Vasquez Marquez’s remarkable coffee farming work. During harvest last February, we were able to spend a little time with her at her farm and micro mill, receiving a better glimpse into what a day in the life of an outstanding coffee farmer is like. Maria Elena bought her farm in 1996 as a single mother, when her son, Delson (only child) was one year old. She cleared and planted the property all on her own and continues to manage the farm and mill entirely by herself. Family members are employed to pick coffee cherry and assist with technical farm management, such as pruning, weeding and transplanting new coffee trees. Maria Elena is committed to coffee quality and continuing to learn how to better her harvest and processing every year which has been evident in the cup quality MCT’s has grown familiar with from her. Maria Elena is an animated story teller and obvious hard worker, constantly smiling and laughing, that is this “Catracha”. “Catracha” is the slang word used to identify a Honduran woman. When you drop the “a” and replace it with an “o”, you have the slang word for a Honduran man. This story is incomplete without sharing background on how MCT can secure coffee from Maria Elena and how her coffee undoubtedly gets better year after year.
Maria Elena is a member of the Catracha Coffee Company. Catracha Coffee Co was established in 2010 by Mayra and Lowell Powell. Mayra was born and raised in Santa Elena, Honduras and is the granddaughter of coffee farmers. Through Catracha Coffee Co, Mayra can reach out to community members and local farmers (such as Maria Elena) in a way that has not been done there before. Catracha Coffee engages in community building activities that involve the children of Santa Elena and other close communities that have been encouraging for the development of various skills from art, construction, cooking, gardening, sewing and planting seeds of entrepreneurship. Being a member of Catracha gives the benefits of profit sharing, technical assistance at the farm level and legitimate farm gate prices to the farmers. This has allowed farmers like Maria Elena, to invest back into their farms with organic fertilizers, new coffee trees and larger covered drying areas. These investments have further increased coffee quality, which in turn brings a higher price at market to the farmers for their diligent efforts. MCT admires the work of Catracha Coffee Co and is grateful for Maria Elena’s farming successes.
12oz earns 5%
5lbs earns 10%