Yefri Velasquez Honey

Cafesmo Ocotepeque Honduras

Verified seller

• 247 sales on Algrano
• 4 Avg. orders per roaster
• 75 Roaster relationships

Origin

Honduras

Producer

Cafesmo Ocotepeque Honduras

Variety

Pacas

Process type

Other

Altitude range

1410m - 1480m

Harvest period

January, 2020 - January, 2020

Seller's cupping score (SCA)

86.0 points

Updated April, 2020

ID

HN-95-202001

"Apart from being a smallholder coffee farmer, I’m also a micro-biologist. In fact, I run a medical laboratory during the summer months, when it’s quiet on the farm and my uncle can keep things going without me. But as soon as the beans start to grow, my partner runs the laboratory on his own and I travel back to my farm, where I feel happier than anywhere else on earth.
 
I was born on the finca that I now manage, and grew up between the coffee plants. But due to the rust leaf that plagued our finca seven years ago, my parents decided to leave to the United States. They were desperate and thought there was no future on a farm, nor in Honduras. At the time, I was 18 and I decided to stay; a decision that I haven’t regretted a single moment. 
 
Now, I am doing relatively well, despite the low prices. Being a micro-biologist is helpful. I understand small organisms, and how the plants get their nutrients. Instead of laying pulp from the previous harvest around each plant, I dig a hole next to it and bury the pulp underneath. It decomposes very slowly when underground, and is much closer to the roots, for direct absorption. 
 
A few years ago, I started to hold bees. There isn’t enough natural pollination and the bees have become an unmissable tool. Besides, they make delicious honey that I can now eat year round. 
 
I’m also slowly changing the paca variety for lempira, which is significantly more resistant to leaf rust. Even a micro-biologist cannot stop the wind from blowing, and the rust can sometimes reach parts of my farm, despite the natural barriers that I have put in place with dense plants and trees all around it. Apart from paca and lempira, I also grow obata, parainema, and 90Ihcafé. It’s important for me to offer different varieties, also for the diversity in micro-lots.
 
Early 2019, I contacted a small specialty roaster in the US and sent him some samples. He was so enthusiastic that he will fly down to Honduras during the upcoming harvest to select his own coffee on my farm. I’m incredibly proud, and working to invite some other roasters as well. There are still plenty excellent micro-lots on my 18 hectare finca." - Cafesmo Ocotepeque Honduras, April, 2020