Finca Portillos

Bertilio initiated cultivating coffee in the year of 1996,he bought the land has been managing it since the las 12 years. He works and lives of his coffee land and production. This farm has been worked personally and is the economic source, for his family of two members, he has 2 permanent employees and 10 temporary during harvest.

Bertilio fertilizes once a year, in the month of June, during the rainy season, using the technique know as "half moon" at the base of the tree. He does his farm's weed control by hand, applies tree pruning, with selective and sanitary purposes, also regulates shade. He dos a very active Broca control even he doesn't have a evident problem with the plague, just a prevention. His harvest starts in November until may sometimes, he need to hire workers that live in other towns because there's lack of labor in his community. collecting only the red cherries. then he moves his crop in a pick up truck, 30 minutes, to the wet mill, . Using the less water possible from a protected water source inside the farm. His fermentations are done in cement tanks for and average of 12-14 hours, depending on weather and moisture conditions.

Then the coffee is washed and taken into cement patios to dry, this is done in the exporter's patios. It takes Bertilio at least one hour to transport by a rented pick up truck, his coffee to the nearest facility or exporter. He says his success lays in picking only the red cherries, pulping as fast as possible after picking, a supervised fermentation and the use of clean water. He and his family and workers are aware of the protection of the environment and give the proper process to pulp and residue waters. They are also planting wood producing trees such as mahogany and laurel. they void hunting in the farm's premises and tree chopping. Due to the recently past coffee prices crisis, he has no means to improve his workers salary.