About This Coffee
The Holman family has been producing coffee in Apaneca-Ilamatepec for over 120 years. They expanded on their initial property, Finca Santa Isabel, by purchasing Finca San Blas and Finca Antioquita. Today, owner Jeff Holman continues his family tradition of coffee farming with a focus on protecting the environment.
Finca San Blas was hit by a volcanic eruption shortly after Holman purchased it. The eruption destroyed the trees growing there, but brought nutrient-rich volcanic soil and gave Holman a chance to replant the farm with quality-oriented varieties. The Orange Bourbon in this lot has long been known for its high quality profile. In addition to the Orange Bourbon in this lot the Holmans also cultivate Geisha and Pacamara. They plan to continue planting more Geisha to take advantage of the high altitude and ideal conditions for growing high quality coffees at Finca San Blas.
In addition to their focus on their environment, the Holmans are also dedicated to ethical farming and employment practices. There is a school and church on the land, as well as 16 houses for workers. These homes were renovated in 2019 and 2020 to ensure that employees have access to safe, affordable housing.
Cultivation
The farm protects both workers and the environment by being completely herbicide-free. They also preserve the over 35 native plant and animal species living on the farm and reduce pollution as much as possible.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked to ensure only ripe, red cherry is used. Orange Bourbon is well known for producing a high quality lot, so everything Holman does is to protect and develop the quality within. Ripe cherry is laid on raised beds to sundry. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying.
Rainforest Alliance
RFA stands for Rainforest Alliance, a certification system that emphasizes climate-smart agriculture. RFA farms have at least 40% of land covered by canopy, significant species diversity (at least 12 native tree species per hectare, on average) and a system of natural vegetation buffers between agricultural land and bodies of water. The farms also use organic fertilizers.
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.