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El Buen Pastor
History
Due to my work as missionary, I met members of the Menonita Pilgrim
Conference, who in the year 1999 came to Siguatepeque to establish in the
village Villa Alicia, a children’s home and a community clinic. God set
us to work together, after 1 ½ years, three of its members: the gentlemen
Galen Martin, Carl Martin and Ira Mast, bought the farm before mentioned
and they asked me to manage it. The Farm was abandoned by its previous owner
and was almost lost by the lack of maintenance. I had never worked with
coffee before but I assumed the challenge and began to improve the farm
and after almost four years of hard work we have achieved that the El Buen
Pastor farm start producing. The profits earned are destined to finance
the children's home "The Good Shepherd ", located in Villa Alicia, Siguatepeque.
Thanks to God, and the work of Marcelino Ávila and his family “El Buen Pastor
“is obtaining important achievements. Our goal in the future is to overcome
what has been done till now… Nowadays I am registered in the IHCAFE coffee
producers register.
Quality Practices
We do two weed controls during the year using mechanical control. During
1991 we made a drastic tissue managing in the entire coffee far; so, after
that, we get the first harvest until 2003-04. The shade using in the coffee
farm mostly is bananas and Ingas.
We don’t use pesticides to control the coffee pest and
disease, we use cultural, microbiological and traps to develop an Integral
pest control. The coffee farm has very good looking because our families
take care of it.
Environmental Care
Around our coffee farm we can find a very good biodiversity, where we
may find a lot of forestry because the farm is very close to the cloudy
tropical forest. The species of trees that we can find there are: pines,
liquidambar, tatascan fern, orquideas etc. In side of this ecosystem we
can fine diversity of wild animals like a birds, rabbit, squirrel, wild
cat etc.
The farm is part a clouded mountain when the temperature
every time is around 20 centigrade grade. At the night the temperature a
let bit low as 14 centigrade grades. The freezing months are October, November
and December and the warm months are February, March and April.
Coffee Process Information
Fertilization:
Fertilized by 600 lbs of fertilizer per hectare
Disease and Pest Control: Using an integrate manage of pests
and disease control
Harvesting: From November to January
Milling: Transported to on-site wet mill. Cement patios and
wire fixed net
Other Statistics:
Annual Production: 80 bags
Coffee varieties: Bourbon, Caturra and Catuai
Type of Soil: Clayish soil, slightly deep soil, and sandy limestone areas
Average Annual Rainfall: 2,000 mm
Type of Shade: Guama, fruit and wood-bearing trees, Musaceas
Water Source: Fresh water
Permanent Employees: 3
Temporary Employees: 15
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