Ernesto Hernández, Farm El Zapote

We’re a very united family, my wife, our two daughters, and myself.

Our oldest daughter is 22 and she works at the municipality, and the younger one is 16. She’s in secondary school. Most of the year, I work in our finca on my own. We have approximately one hectare, so it’s not very big and I am able to care for it by myself. 

However, during the harvest season, we usually work as a family. My youngest daughter has school holidays from late November to early February, which is great because that is exactly when we also harvest our crop. She loves to help with the picking, washing, and sorting. Together with my wife, they are in charge of all that, while I will do the heavier work, like maintenance, and carrying the coffee bags to the car.

Because we own so little land, I also work as an assistant-constructor. Our family wouldn’t be able to live from the proceeds from our coffee only, not even in the best of times, like the 2021/22 harvest, when the price for coffee nearly doubled compared to a year earlier. Costs have also risen precipitously, and in previous years we often had to sell below our own production cost.

I’m glad to hold this job in construction as people are always looking to build something, regardless of the economic situation of the country. Indeed, approximately 10% of all Hondurans live in the US, most of them illegally, and they send money to Honduras every month, to build a house for their family, or for when they return to Honduras later.

So, this means a more reliable source of income for me, although I prefer to work my land. Of course because it’s mine and it offers more freedom. But also, because I prefer to work in the field and grow nice coffees. Now that I have sold a micro-lot to a specialty coffee importer in Taiwan (in 2022), I feel more hopeful and more enthusiastic about my future as a coffee grower.

Even though I am no longer very young, I feel that I still have the opportunity to learn a lot and I will continue to prepare micro lots during from the next harvests. It requires more effort, but it’s also a source of pride and it’s the only possibility to increase the price that buyers are willing to pay per pound of coffee. 

I’m hopeful that my youngest daughter wants to take over the finca later, but I’m not sure if she will. It’s probably better for her to hold a steady job, just like her older sister. Anyway, all that doesn’t change the harmony in our family; we always support each other regardless of the circumstances and our girls are free to choose their own path and build their own future.

Farm facts:

1 hectare, between 1,070 and 1,130 meters.

Shadow from citric trees and local trees.

Varietals: Lempira, 90 , pacas, catimore

Certified organic, fair trade, RFA