87.03

Overview:

More than a century ago, two coffee producer`s families were being united by their offspring’s marriage: Apolinario and Adelaida de Magaña’s son, Francisco Magaña Herrera; and José Antonio and Gordiana de Cáceres’s daughter, Evangelina Cáceres Magaña. Both family heads were very active in the production, processing and trading of the precious grain, and both had their lands in the beautiful mountains of Juayúa in the Sonsonate department (Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range, which is part of the Sierra Madre). Finca “El Topacio” or “Topaz” is located in that paradise.

The actual owner, Maria Elena belongs to the fourth generation of coffee growers. Maria Elena’s grandfather, Francisco, besides being an attorney-at-law, dedicated his entire life to his passion of producing coffee, which he did in the best way possible, teaching his workers to treat and pamper the coffee trees with lots of care and dedication.

The maximum award this year was engaged by this farm grown with Pacamara variety, an exotic coffee varietal from El Salvador which comes from the crossing of Pacas and Maragogipe varieties. Despite having a small area planted with this variety, they selected wishing it to have an opportunity to demonstrate the great quality from that farm.

Sonsonate is famous for being “the land of coconuts,” while Juayúa is recognized as a traditional coffee town with a great culinary touch, thanks to its famous gastronomic festival held each weekend. It’s the second time since the program started in 2003 in El Salvador , that Sonsonate and Juayúa earned good places in the competition bringing more coffee pride to this area. Juayúa or better Xuayuat, comes from Xuayut , indigenous term designating the “catleyas”, which are beautiful orchids all known as San Sebastian and “at” , equal to place, which makes Xuayuat = place of orchids or purple flowers. Regarding the identification of Juayúa with these striking flowers, Professor Lardé and Larín account that by 1940, coffee shade these were: "Dressed and armed with these epiphytes”.

Maria Elena remembers: “My granpa Francisco and granma, “Mamaevita”, always took their grandchildren for harvesting season, and we had the best time admiring those gorgeous coffee cherries everywhere, being picked by hand, something we loved to do, even though we were not much of a help… but we sure had lots of fun!!!” She also recognizes that: “My husband Leopoldo, being like my grandfather a coffee producer himself since his high school times, has been managing our farms since I inherited them. His experience and dedication has kept all labors in progress, even in the worst times our country had to go through, and our good and efficient team of workers has done the rest. But above all, I have to thank God and Mary His Mother for their aid and protection.”