About This Coffee
Coffee cultivation is in Martin Serpas’ veins. His great-great-great-grandfather, Fabio Morán began coffee farming in the 1800s. More recently, his father, Ricardo, and great-grandfather, Meno, continued farming with a dedication to the craftsmanship and ethos of coffee. Ricardo purchased Finca Melchor and began cultivating coffee there. Martin, the current owner and son of Ricardo, learned coffee farming from his father and took over the farm in 2010 when Ricardo passed away.
The farm’s name was original called Finca El Huevo. Huevo is slang for “big debt” and “trouble”. So, Ricardo called the farm “El Huevo” after the large quantity of financing and debt it took to obtain it. However, as soon as the farm was paid off and fully owned by the family, he renamed the farm “Finca Melchor” in honor of one of the three wise men of the Nativity.
Cultivation
El Salvador is small and densely populated and the population growth of the last century has devastated local wildlife. Finca El Melchor has a wild deer population that the Serpas have fiercely protected. They have encouraged workers to protect and respect deer and discouraged neighbors from hunting them.
The Serpas further protect the environment by limiting the use of chemicals and by striving for sustainable growth. Coffee is shade grown under native plant species.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Coffee is selectively handpicked by workers and processed on the farm. Cherry is laid to sundry and is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 22 to 25 days for cherry to dry.
Coffee in El Salvador
Don’t be fooled by El Salvador’s small size. It was once the 4th largest coffee producer worldwide and continues to produce high quality lots. The country is known for its great cupping varieties, such as Bourbon and Pacamara. In fact, two beloved, frequently high-scoring varieties—Pacas and Pacamara— originated in El Salvador.
Unlike other countries, where specialty coffee production has required a great deal of additional investment and training, El Salvador already has a broad and skilled specialty coffee workforce. Farming traditions run deep, and many Salvadorian farmers are extremely passionate about coffee production and continuously strive to improve their crop. El Salvador has optimal conditions for coffee processing. The prolonged dry season typically occurs during the harvest season, making it easier to sun dry coffee.
Though coffee output in the country has been declining for over two decades – exacerbated by the CLR crisis – the approach to coffee production has changed from volume- to quality-driven. A new generation of coffee producers has sprouted around the country with a new vision and approach to production. Many of this generation are experimenting with processing and varietals.