Overview

Santa Maria is a family farm that started with Sonia’s late husband’s maternal grandparents in 1935, The Lagos Family. The farm was in time handed down to her husband who particularly dedicated his life to growing specialty coffee, just as they do now with the farms they own.

Santa Maria enjoys a unique microclimate along with a fertile volcanic soil, shade is provided mainly by Ingas, cypress, bay leaf, avocadoes and other native trees. With an average density of 130 to 140 shade trees per hectare, a great variety of fauna exists in the farm, such as rufous-naped wren, rabbits, armadillos, orioles among others and cool temperature all year makes it possible to produce a great cup of coffee every time.

The careful processing of the winning lot at their family mill is greatly responsible for achieving this great quality coffee that is guaranteed thru a tight close control in every stage. Sonia’s goal after the auction is to reinvest in the farm and try to differentiate her coffee even more; she believes supporting the buyer with their marketing efforts is very important. Sonia is thrilled to participate again this year; she is convinced that winning a good spot in every event year after year with other farms is a guarantee of the quality for their buyers. This fact keeps them permanently striving for excellence. And this has been demonstrated since 2003 when CoE started in El Salvador.

The family dedication to quality has also extended to the other farms, with Himalaya winning in 2003 and 2007, Pretoria III winning the Cup of Excellence in 2004 and Santa Maria winning in 2006 and again in 2008. Upon winning for the second time, Santa María confirmed the excellent quality of the coffee produced. This quality is assured through a strict process of control and through on-site integration of all stages of coffee production, including producing, milling and exporting coffee.

Santa Maria is located in Apaneca, more specifically in the Department of Ahuachapán, in the region known as the Apaneca –Ilamatepec mountain range. Manuel Bindel is Santa Maria’s supervisor and he has been working with Sonia’s family for generations, for him, knowing that Santa Maria given this award means a lot and makes him very proud and eager to keep working hard.

Additional information:
Average Annual Rainfall: 3,200 mm
Average Temperature: 23 ºC
Type of Soil: Volcanic sandy loam
Type of Shade: Mainly Ingas
Annual Production: 460 (60kg)
Mill and company where lot was process: Los Cerritos Mill, Himalaya S.A. de C.V.

GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 13º 52' 2.03" N
Longitude: 89º 46' 55.7" W