dose.

I returned this week from a trip to visit our friends at Finca Manzano in El Salvador. The harvest, which starts in December at the lower altitudes and continues until March, is going well and the results are looking (and tasting!) good.

El Salvador, along with other Central American countries, received rainfall an unusual rainfall in December. This has caused an overall decline in production (down 30-40% by some counts!). Lower supply on the market may cause prices to go up for producers, but not enough to compensate for the lower volume. Regardless, higher prices are warranted for Finca Manzano’s coffee, which is tasting even better than last year.

The reason for this is the continued attention to quality by Emilio Lopez, sixth-generation coffee farmer, manager, and owner. The first year I visited the mill at Finca Manzano, he was proudly displaying new processing equipment. The next year, mechanical dryers stood in a once-empty spot next to the drying patios. This year a water purification system has been implemented for the coffee processing – a somewhat unprecedented step that allows for the reuse of water and keeps the processing very clean.

Also, under Emilio’s direction, the farm received Rainforest Alliance certification this year! This certification is awarded to farms/mills that use environmentally and socially sustainable practices. Unlike other certifications, the RA certification takes into consideration the unique circumstances of each operation it certifies. The use of most pesticides and herbicides is allowed, but record must be kept of when and where they are used and to show there was good cause.

Overall it was a great preview of what we can look forward to in a couple months as the new crop coffee hits the US market. In the meantime, our 2008-2009 crop Finca Manzano is still tasting great – in both it’s light and dark roasted form… but we’ve only got two sacks of green coffee left to roast, so enjoy it while it lasts!