Ahuachapán | El Salvador
We have been working with the Silva family since 2014 but have been familiar with their coffee since the El Salvador Cup of Excellence Auction in 2005.
San Cayetano is a small 100% Bourbon farm of 15 hectares, located in the volcanic Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range of El Salvador. The land was originally purchased in the early 1920s, by Arturo Silva. It sits at 1400m above sea level making it one of the highest farms of the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountain Range. Arturo Silva named the farm San Cayetano. Many years later the farm was inherited by Luis Arturo Silva, father of Rafael Silva, the current owner. Rafael is the talented man behind La Fany and Siberia, which we have also stocked in the past.
The Silvas employ between 8 to 10 people all year round and between 70 and 90 workers during the harvest period at San Cayetano. All coffee on the plantation is hand picked and processed at the Silvas mill, 'Beneficio San Pedro'. Having their own mill enables the Silva's to manage the processing and quality control much more tightly than most El Salvadorian farmers. All coffee is separated by picking date, variety, and lot and carefully cupped to maximise quality.
The coffee cherries were pulped on arrival at Beneficio San Pedro to remove some of the fruit on the outside of the coffee parchment and then they were dried on raised beds in a green house, with workers employed to turn the beans regularly to ensure that the coffee does not over ferment and dries evenly.
The Silvas are very committed to the environment. Initiatives at San Cayetano include recycling the coffee pulp, using earthworms to process it to create 'vermicompost' that is used to fertilize the trees. The coffee trees are protected from direct sunlight by native trees which also help to create a thick floor covering of organic material which helps to conserve soil moisture and avoid erosion. In addition the Silvas work hard to avoid erosion by planting natural barriers and drilling holes to improve drainage and minimize flooding. There are rain reservoirs all around the plantation to collect rain especially during the wet season and sustain the farm during the dry.
Producer:
Rafael and Carmen Elena Silva
Region:
Apaneca, Ahuachapán
Elevation:
1,400 meters
Farm Size:
8 Hectares
Harvest Months:
December - March
Varieties:
Bourbon, Pacamara
Processing:
Washed, Natural, and Honey