Hector Gabino Ramírez, Farm El Aguacate

Hector was born and raised in San Jerónimo, and he has lived there his entire adult life as well.

San Jerónimo is a small but precious hamlet hidden deep in the Honduran country side. In fact, it’s closer to the Guatemalan border, which is only two kilometers away, than to the nearest Honduran town, which is a one and a half hour drive. That is, for someone who owns a car. 

The remote location offers several advantages. San Jerónimo is peaceful, immersed in nature, everyone supports each other in the small community, and strong bonds form for life. But there are disadvantages as well. Hector and his farmer friends have to drive 2,5 hours to deliver their coffee at Cafesmo’s nearest storage facility. They have no network for cell phones and depend on feeble WIFI signals to communicate, to receive information about the market, and the world in general.

Thankfully though, Hector is happy where he lives, with his wife of many years, his two adult sons and his grandchildren. Also, the hamlet as well as his farm is located at an ideal altitude of 1,700 meters. The climate is pleasant all year round and offers perfect conditions to grow coffee in this part of the country.

Hector started growing his own coffee when he was 25, back in 1987. Before that, he worked on his father’s land, who was a smallholder coffee farmer as well.  Now that he is older himself, he relied on his two adult son to help him in the farm. The family owns three hectares of coffee plots, where they grow Catimor, Lempira, and IH-Café 90. 

There is abundant shadow. Mostly from trees that grow in the region naturally, but Héctor’s sons have also planted some orange trees, and more recently avocado trees. There is some corn and red beans as well on the outer side of the coffee plot. All these additional crops are for the family’s own consumption and to sell any surplus that they are able to generate.

In 2021, Héctor and 15 other coffee farmers from San Jerónimo, decided to become members of Cafesmo. They had heard about the organization, and were looking for more direct access to the market, despite their remote location. This is how Héctor sold his first washed micro-lot to a specialty coffee importer from Taiwan in early 2022. It’s a relief to receive a better reward for all the additional effort that is put into the preparation of higher quality coffees, and it also leads to increased motivation and enthusiasm to keep going. 

Not only for Héctor himself, but certainly also for his sons, who represent the new generation and are building a life for their own families now.

Farm facts

3 hectares at 1,700 meters

Shadow mostly from trees that grow in the region naturally, as well as some orange and avocado trees.

Varietals: Lempira, Catimor, IH-Café 90

This farm is certified organic and fair trade and RFA.