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.
The Silvas employ between 8 to 10 people all year round and between 70 and 90 workers during the harvest period at Divina Providencia. 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.
From the Silvas:
Finca Divina Providencia has been in Rafael’s family for a very long time now. This farm has passed down through the generations by Rafael’s family on his mother’s side. The farm is located at 1450 masl 2 miles down the side of the road between the city of Apaneca and the town of Ataco in the Ahuachapán department.
The farm has a very unique micro-climate with rich in nutrient soils that make producing high quality coffee an easy task. Every day in the afternoon, the farm is completely covered with fog. The farm received very little sunlight and cero wind gusts. With its Clay Loam Soils and sufficient rainfall, it is easy for the coffee trees to absorb all nutrients in the soil.
The farm used to be 100% bourbon, but we have been finding several Pacas trees amongst the plantation. Pacas is a natural mutation from bourbon. Pacas trees are short in height, with short branches but really high in productivity compared to Bourbon trees.
This farm was one of Rafael’s mother’s babies. She took an immense care for this property and thought it should stay in the family for generations to come. As Rafael tells us, his mother, Eve Thelma Hoff, would walk through this farm every afternoon when she was in Apaneca.
Producer:
Rafael and Carmen Elena Silva
Region:
Apaneca, Ahuachapán
Elevation:
1,450 meters
Size:
12 hectares
Harvest Months:
November - February
Varieties:
Red Bourbon, Pacas
Processing:
Washed, Natural, and Honey, plus other experiments
Annual rainfall:
2,600 mm
Shade Trees:
Inga, Cypress, Pine