In the family-owned Finca Valentina, everybody gathers not in front of the fireplace but around the coffee pot
As you already know, for the first time in DABOV Specialty Coffee’s catalog we have a coffee from the Obata variety thanks to Finca Valentina from Honduras – Honduras Finca Valentina.
Let us have a walk around Finca Valentina
Finca Valentina was founded in 2013 by Bayron Evelio Peña Peña. With this name, he wanted to honor his mother and his daughter. Today, the farm boasts 19 hectares of coffee plantation. They grow Obata, Lempira, Pacamara, and Parainema Arabica varieties. The farm is in the Santa Barbara mountains and is managed with dedication and utmost care from the plantation to the final process. With a respect to social norms and friendly to the environment, in Finca Valentina, they produce specialty coffee with strict quality standards.
Where is Finca Valentina located
Finca Valentina is located in the El Retiro Village, municipality of Chinda, Santa Barbara, (approximately forty minutes driving from the city of Trinidad) amid a humid tropical forest, surrounded by coffee plantations. It is situated between 1150 and 1200 m and the average temperature is 18 – 22 C degrees. Its diverse terrain is home to different varieties of plants which provide ideal habitat for the coffee trees. Around the coffee trees, there are fruit trees, citruses, avocados, figs, bananas, cassava, ornamental, floral and timber trees.
How many harvests per year are there in Finca Valentina
The harvest of the coffee is once a year. In March, starts the flowering of the coffee tree which last only about four days. The coffee cherry then develops until November, when the harvest begins. Only the cherries that have reached the right point of maturation are handpicked.
Why do they grow specialty coffee in Finca Valentina
Producer Erica Peña from Finca Valentina, sister of Byron, shares with us: “Our family has been dedicated to coffee for many years, but we have been producing it in a conventional manner. In 2017, we set ourselves the challenge of entering the world of specialty coffee to obtain a distinctive coffee in order to add value to our product. Coffee is a food and we took a different approach to our farm, bringing benefits to our family and the families who work daily on the farm and, of course, the greatest value of our specialty coffee is to build long-term relationships with our customers, their consumers and our coffee producing communities.
How did Finca Valentina perform in Oro de Santa Barbara
In Oro de Santa Barbara 2018, where Jordan Dabov was part of the jury, Finca Valentina presented two lots of Obata variety. They won the 4th and 15th place in the Medium size producer ranking during with 86,42 and 83,17 points respectively.
Have a look at this video of Bayron Peña…
in which he admits that they are very happy that they can sell their coffee Honduras Finca Valentina directly to DABOV. “This really helps us in our work that requires a lot of sacrifice and dedication. The idea is to take part in this big commercial line and be able to export our best products.”
It is time that you appreciated Honduras Ventura – the coffee personally chosen by our coffee hunter Jordan Dabov from Oro de Santa Barbara
At the end of April 2018, Jordan Dabov was among 25 jurors from 11 countries who cupped 60 coffee lots in Santa Barbara region of Honduras during Oro de Santa Barbara competition.
What is Oro de Santa Barbara
The competition for specialty coffee Oro de Santa Barbara takes place in Honduras for the 4th year. The national jury had selected coffees that would be cupped by the international jury whose tas was to select the top 10 best specialty coffees from Honduras. It is a great joy and honor for us that our coffee hunter Jordan Dabov was invited to be part of the jury.
“The event in Santa Barbara was of great importance to the farmers there,” commented our founder Jordan Dabov. “The main idea was to show them that they could sell their coffee for a higher price than the usual they get. Most of them had never heard of such auctions, and the high-quality coffee produced in most cases went to the cooperative where it usually was paid for quantity and not quality. In this sense, the event was extremely beneficial for farmers, who thus are motivated to produce better coffee, experiment with the processing of coffee and search for a delicious cup of coffee.”DABOV outbid other buyers during the auction for three coffees
After the competition a highly competitive auction took place. Jordan Dabov succeeded in outbidding other buyers for three specialty coffees he had tasted during the competition. “I have chosen three lots from two farms,” Jordan Dabov said immediately after the auction. “I have met the farmers and have tasted their coffee. I really wanted their coffee to reach European coffee lovers and to pay a fair price for their work so that they are motivated next year to produce again such a special coffee.”
Honduras Ventura – melon, melting in dark chocolate
Edwin Ventura’s coffee – Honduras Ventura gained the impressive 86,45 points. It impressed our coffee hunter Jordan Dabov with its wonderful taste, dominated by dark chocolate, melon, and notes of stone fruits. It is winey and has a sweet aroma. The variety is a Catuaí-Paca and comes with a clean cup and balanced acidity.
Young Finca Ventura already grows expressive specialty coffee
Finca Ventura’s coffee Honduras Ventura won the 17th place from Oro de Santa Barbara even though the farm is quite young. Its owner Edwin Ventura opened it on Nov. 28, 2013. But he comes from a family that has grown coffee for already three generations. Today, Finka Ventura grows coffee on 2 hectares with unique agro-ecological conditions.
Despite the unavoidable difficulties at the beginning, Edwin does not give up and just two years after the foundation of his farm, in the 2015/2016 harvest he already enjoys the first batches of specialty coffee, which he processes through a natural and semi-dry process. A year later, the number of micro lots increased to 75%. The average rating for Finca Ventura’s coffees from SCA is 87.5 points. Edwin Ventura intends to grow avocados to diversify the farm’s production and use the by-product of the coffee – cascara, from which they traditionally make tea. He also plans to plant the variety Parainema, Cup of Excellence winner for Best Coffee for 2015 and 2017 in Honduras.Do you know that…
The department of Santa Barbara registers about 16 thousand coffee growers, those who harvest ten percent of the national production, about one million bags among the municipalities with the highest production are, Atima, San Nicolás, Colinas and also the Santa Bárbara mountain. During the harvest period, the coffee sector generates one million direct and indirect jobs, represents the second source of foreign currency, after remittances, it benefits about 20% of the Honduran population that directly or indirectly depends on the crop.
We are delighted to share with you that we have received at DABOV Specialty Coffee showroom and café Honduras Ventura – a coffee personally selected by our coffee hunter Jordan Dabov during the competition “Oro de Santa Barbara”.
Oro de Santa Barbara took place in April 2018 in the eponymous region in Honduras and was followed by an auction from which DABOV managed to outbid the other buyers for three specialty coffees. We have already received the first one – Honduras Ventura from Finca Ventura. As you already know, Jordan Dabov was part of the international jury of the competition, which goal was to select the ten best specialty coffees from “the land of the reed”.Honduras Ventura delights with a wonderful taste
Edwin Ventura’s coffee – Honduras Ventura, was rated 86.45 points in the competition. It impressed Jordan Dabov with a wonderful taste, dominated by dark chocolate and red apple, and sweet aroma. The variety is a Catuaí-Paca and comes with a clean cup and balanced acidity. You can now try it and buy it at our showroom and café in downtown Sofia at 58 Lyuben Karavelov Str. “I have chosen three lots from two farms,” Jordan Dabov said immediately after the auction. “I have met the farmers and have tasted their coffee. I really wanted their coffee to reach European coffee lovers and to pay a fair price for their work so that they are motivated next year to produce again such a special coffee. ” The small and medium-sized producers were the big winners in the Oro de Santa Barbara competition, with some selling their coffee to a thousand dollars for dry material. “The event in Santa Barbara was of great importance to the farmers there,” commented our founder Jordan Dabov. “The main idea was to show them that they could sell their coffee for a higher price than the usual they get. Most of them had never heard of such auctions, and the high-quality coffee produced in most cases went to the cooperative where it usually was paid for quantity and not quality. In this sense, the event was extremely beneficial for farmers, who thus are motivated to produce better coffee, experiment with the processing of coffee and search for a delicious cup of coffee.” We look forward to receiving very soon also two more lots of superb Honduras coffee from the El Retiro farm – they are of the exotic Obata variety, which we and you will try for the first time.Small and medium coffee producers were the big winners in the Oro de Santa Barbara competition, with several of them selling their coffee at a thousand dollars per quintal dry parchment.
For four days, 25 international judges of eleven nationalities tasted 60 lots of coffee that had pre-qualified to participate in the competition, choosing the ten best aromatics from the land of the reed.
The grain grown in San José Colinas, became the Oro de Santa Bárbara coffee, reached a rating of 90.97 from the Pacayalito farm, Los Naranjos village owned by producer Miguel Ángel Tábora.
The second place was obtained by the grain produced in the Las Flores village, by the coffee grower Balbina Sabillón, who achieved a score of 89.65%, while the third place fell on the Cacaulapa farm, located in the village La Alianza, in the municipality of San José de Colinas, owned by Merlyn Paz with 89.43%.
Who received the best price at Oro de Santa Barbara?
But who took the best price and became the surprise of the competition was the sample of coffee maker Nery Rolando Muñoz Fernández, San Luis Planes, who despite having been in fourth place managed to get his grain to buy 15.25 dollars per pound.
It should be noted that the average purchase price per pound of dry parchment coffee in the national market is around 16 lempiras per pound and 1,600 lempiras per quintal.
Nery Muñoz became the leading producer of the competition by getting his grain auctioned at almost one thousand dollars per quintal, one thousand four hundred percent more than the normal market sale price.
The closing events of the event were headed by the designated Ricardo Álvarez, who stressed the importance of the small and medium producer selling their coffees directly, without intermediaries and at unthinkable prices for them.
“Who would have thought that a coffee farmer with less than an apple, disabled and about to go blind, has managed to get his grain to buy it at a thousand dollars a quintal, a thousand times more than its price in relation to the value of the local market, that’s what it’s about, to support people like Nery so that they have the necessary profitability to ensure a better life, “he said.
To reach the three finalists, the international tasters selected 10 coffees, among them, the grain that is harvested in the farms Guacamaya, El Milagro, La Bendición, Noriega, Las Flores, San Ramón and Buena Vista.
Oro Santa Barbara was promoted by the government through the presidential appointee Ricardo Álvarez, the mayor’s office through its owner, the lawyer Fátima Juárez, the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Santa Bárbara, the Country Brand and the Secretariat of Economic Development, all under the vision that small and medium producers could compete directly and obtain better prices for the grain.
An international jury for the first time comes to Honduras to choose and buy Specialty coffee
The international tasters participating in the competition came from different countries, including Germany, Canada, Japan, China, Holland, Russia, Korea, Singapore, the United States and Bulgaria, all of whom were summoned by the well-known judges Sherri Jhons and Ez Yon, who since early April they were in Santa Bárbara to pre-select the aromatic they tasted in the competition.
During their stay in Santa Barbara land, the tasters visited different farms where they could roast coffee in an artisanal way and verify the production process in situ.
After choosing the first three places of the competition, all the coffees participated in the auction and according to the quality of the grain, they achieved prices between 6 and 15 dollars per pound.
“That was the idea, that the small producer could sell without intermediaries since these remain with the highest percentage and producers end up losing, they are the ones who have made a large investment in their farms to achieve a successful production,” he said. the presidential designee.
It is noteworthy that it is the first time in the history of Honduran coffee that 25 judges of eleven nationalities come to the country to choose and buy the best coffee in a department.
“The judges have assured me that next year they will participate again in Oro de Santa Bárbara and that they are willing to replicate this experience in other departments of the country” concluded Álvarez.
The department of Santa Barbara registers about 16 thousand coffee growers, those who harvest ten percent of the national production, about one million bags among the municipalities with the highest production are, Atima, San Nicolás, Colinas and also the Santa Bárbara mountain.
During the harvest period, the coffee sector generates one million direct and indirect jobs, represents the second source of foreign currency, after remittances, it benefits about 20% of the Honduran population that directly or indirectly depends on the crop.
Source:
http://www.latribuna.hn/2018/04/29/pequenos-productores-logran-precio-record-competencia-cafe-oro-santa-barbara/
The fourth Coffee Festival Oro de Santa Barbara will be held in Honduras and the best coffees from the region will be shown
During the festival, the foreign jury will be in direct contact with the producers. The judges are also going to visit farms and do sightseeing in the region so they could explore the beauty of the nature in the region.
Oro de Santa Barbara supports small and medium-sized producers
“The idea is that the small and medium producer can sell their coffee without intermediaries, since these remain with the highest percentage and producers end up losing, and it is they who have made a large investment in their farms to produce a successful production,” said José Luis Medina, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Santa Bárbara, who together with the City Hall, the Government of the Republic and a specialized group of national and international judges are promoting the activity.
Darío Enamorado, a producer from the municipality of San Nicolás, said that in the department of Santa Bárbara there are “very good coffees that have not yet been discovered by the buyer”, so the competition is an initiative that will make it known what they really want.
Coffee is the golden grain in Honduras
Coffee is a leading agricultural product in the country’s exports and has established international prestige thanks to its quality. To date, about 16,000 coffee producers have been registered, which generate 10%, equivalent to a million sacks, of national grain production. Among the highest production areas are Atima, San Nicolás, Colinas and also the Santa Bárbara mountain.
During the harvest period, the coffee sector generates one million direct and indirect jobs.
For the Honduran economy, coffee represents the second generator of foreign currency, after family remittances.
Honduras in the fifth world exporter of coffee in 2016/17, according to the World Coffee Organization; It is also the third producer in Latin America and the first in Central America.
The adventure in search for the Truth About Coffee has begun! A month of exciting coffee events is ahead of us.
Our founder, Jordan Dubov, will embark on an exciting journey to Central America for a month, and in particular to Nicaragua and Honduras. He will join the international jury of the COE – Cup Of Excellence and also visit local farms! Meanwhile, however, he will also visit major coffee events in the US!
This year Cup of Excellence Nicaragua is going to be held from 9 April to 12 April.
The national jury started with 213 different coffees, 107 of which were only allowed to a national round. These coffees come from all over Nicaragua, used different methods to process them. This week, the national jury identified 40 coffees that qualified for the final. For the first time, Jordan Dabov – the founder of our company Dabov Specialty Coffee, will take an honorable participation in the jury.
Learn more about the process, the participants and the jury here.
Specialty Coffee Expo 2018
We are so happy that our founder Jordan Dabov is in the eye of the coffee storm and will share with us some of the spicy innovations from the World of Specialty coffee.
Oro Santa Bárbara – The Best Harvest of Western Coffee
Santa Barbara, Honduras, is a home of the Fourth Coffee Festival, where 25 international judges from 11 countries – Germany, Canada, Japan, China, the Netherlands, Russia, Korea, Singapore, the United States and Bulgaria, along with the judges Sherry Jones and Ez On taste the best coffee produced in the region for 2018. Our founder Jordan Dabov is going to be part of that amazing event.