90.42

Farm: Las Promesas de San Blas
Farmer: Gonzalo Adan Castillo
* Farm History:
The estate promises of San Blas is a small family farm located in La Tablazon, Dipilto, Nueva Segovia at a height between 1200 and 1300 Mts, we bought it in the year 2010, It was completely abandoned, We began planting in June 2010 with 6 MZ coffee Híbri , currently we have planted 20 mz of coffee varieties H1 or Central American (second place winner COE 2017), H3, H17, Marseilles and Caturras. All our coffee is under shade where we have Musaceae, Ingas (Guavas), legumes (Búcaros or pore), timbers such as Cedars, mahogany, coyotes, laurels, walnuts, some cocoa, guanábanas and plums, citrus (tangerine oranges, lemons). We also planted an area of 2 mz of Pine (Guatemalan fir) ornamental.
* Family generations:
My grandparents and uncles planted coffee in their times, we continue with the tradition, now my three children and three grandchildren intend to continue the tradition of cultivating coffee of good quality,
* What were the best practices that you implemented and made you win the Cup of Excellence program?
Our estate the promises of San Blas is certified by UTZ and CAFE practice, we implement the best social, agricultural and environmental practices. An unconditional value to obtain good qualities is the love and affection to our collaborators, to our nature to our land. We meet and comply with the country's wage laws such as minimum wages, holidays, 13th month salary, protection with special equipment for product application, health care. Minors are not allowed, we pay very well the price of the cut can, we only cut the coffee red, we do different processes like honeys and washes natural, all this combination makes our coffee maintain its quality that already tare of the trees to the wet and dry benefits. We use the byproducts like coffee pulp for three purposes, organic fertilizers, cattle feed and to export small quantities for the use of beverages, tea, flour and others,
* How does it feel to be one of the winners?
Happy, very happy. It is the recognition to all the effort made throughout the year, is the recognition to our workers to our varieties of coffee to the unconditional support of our family.
* How will you invest the gains you get from the cup of excellence?
In covering some debts that were product of the bad harvests, pests, diseases, climate change and others, the rest to improve the social investments to our collaborators, to make the filed more attractive for our future generations, to invest in being more sustainable the area and the field.
* Have you participated in the Cup of Excellence program previously?
Yes I have participated and won in three occasions, winning last year in the 2nd place 2017 Cup of Excellence
* What do you think of the cup of Excellence program?
It is an excellent program for the promotion of the quality of our coffee, which to make daily of the producer, is a promotion to the sacrifice that we make to have these qualities, to a world level,
This makes us think that ¨ QUALITY is future ¨
* Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/gonzalo.castillo.9828
https://www.facebook.com/chacalin1956/
https://www.instagram.com/chacalin56/