Past

Finca Lovaina Red Bourbon Natural

Finca Lovaina
Arabica

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  • 2 sales on Algrano
  • 2 Avg. orders per roaster
  • 1 Roaster relationships
Origin
El Salvador
Producer
Finca Lovaina
Variety
Red Bourbon
Process type
Natural/Sun Dried
Altitude range
950m - 1000m
Harvest period
November, 2019 - November, 2019
Seller's cupping score (SCA)
84.5 points
Updated March, 2020
ID
SV-70-201911

"Farm: Finca Lovaina
Producer: Martha Elena Echeverria
Farm manager: Antonio Raco
Farm size: 28 hectares (14 cultivated)
Location: Flor Amarilla Abajo, Santa Ana town, Santa Ana department, El Salvador, Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range (near the pre-Columbian site of San Andrés)
Altitude: 900 - 1200 m
Soil: Volcanic
Average yearly rainfall: 2000 ml
Cultivated varietals: Bourbon, Catisic, Catimor, Sarchimor, Cuscatleco and Costa Rica
Processes: Washed and Natural

My family arrived in El Salvador in the middle of a thunderstorm in the late 1800s. It was one of those storms with winds strong enough to bend trees and enough rain to flood the streets. They were originally from Manizales, Colombia, where my great grandfather Rafael Alvarez ran a corner shop and earned his living by selling carnival masks which he made himself, bottles of bergamot perfume and other trinkets. 

We landed at the right time. The local indigo trade was collapsing after the introduction of synthetic dyes and people started growing coffee all over the country, especially in the western highlands. Rafael had grown up around coffee in Colombia but never hoped he would ever have access to land as he found in El Salvador, with foggy deep green mountains draped in rich, dark, volcanic soil. 

Rafael introduced the first mechanical depulper to El Salvador and pioneered the use of the plant Izote to prevent erosion and preserve the quality of the soil, a technique that was soon adopted in coffee plantations around the country. He sent all his children to school and later divided up his land equally between daughters and sons. Part of this land was passed down to my grandmother Maria, my mother and later, me.

I can't say it has been an easy journey. I love the farm since my childhood when I first picked cherries. When my parents were alive you could still get good prices for coffee. The farm was full of workers and we would have them all for big parties during the festive season. These days is I sell to an exporter I get market prices and then still need to discount a percentage for processing costs and for the Grainpro bag... 

Finding new markets is essential to keep Finca Lovaina running. I am lucky to have a daughter that roasts and sells some of my coffee in Vienna, but she can only take a small part of my crop. I already had to stop cultivating half of the farm due to lack of funds but refuse to sell it! Lovaina is home to the family of Antonio, my mandador, and his wife Ana. It is also my family's legacy."

- Finca Lovaina, March, 2020

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