Fresvindo Hernández, Farm El Malzincal

I was raised by my grandfather, as my dad left when I was still very, very young.

My granddad brought some coffee plant seeds back from El Salvador and he was one of the very first farmers who grew coffee in our region. Little by little, he taught me the ins and outs of coffee cultivation, until I was old enough to start for myself.

My wife, Rosa Romero, also has a small plot, so we work our land together, and we have been doing so for decades. Now, we no longer have the strength to manage our fincas on our own, and our children are all grownups with their own families, so, while they try to help out when they can, they are often too busy with their own coffee.

In fact, one of my sons, Roy, is the administrator of Cafesmo. Roy and his wife Dariela grow excellent coffees and they work with roasters in the US and Europe. Roy is great at selecting the best lots for special preparations, and Dariela is in charge of drying. They have three solar dryers and when they are at work, I often check the lots for them during the day. 

In exchange, they help me with the preparation of my own micro-lots. It’s fair to say that everything we do is an intergenerational family job! Each of us contributes with their own skillset and knowhow. 

On my own plot I only grow lempira because historically this varietal is very resistant against leaf rust, and I find it a reliable variety.  That said, this year (2022), I have also planted some parainema on a small plot that we usually keep for corn and red beans. My son Roy insisted because he says it is even more resistant against rust leaf than my own lempira. We’ll see how that works out but at any rate, it takes three years before we get a first full harvest from any new plants.

The corn and red beans that my wife grow on a small plots are for our own consumption. It’s much cheaper than buying it at the local market. But if we are able to prepare high end micro-lots with the help of our son and daughter in law, it may well be worth planting all of that land with parainema beans, and buy corn and beans with some of the proceeds.

Other than that, we do not have as many plans for the future as our son. Given our age, we are grateful for every year that we are still able to work our land, and for the support that our children provide whenever they can. And of course, we can always be in charge of drying and other lighter tasks, while the next generation focuses on the heavy duty work!

Farm facts

1 hectare at 1,200 to 1,250 meters

Shadow from lots of banana trees, some lime, and different local trees.

Lempira varietal, and a bit of Parainema was planted in 2021

Certified organic and fair trade and RFA