Gerardo Peñalva (APROCOMSA FLO ID 48213)

Gerardo Peñalva grew up in coffee. Since he was a small chilled he would watch his father work the farm and from an early age it became a labour of love for Gerardo. When he came of age and married his wife Fátima Maradiaga, they together undertook the start of a family enterprise, improving their family livelihood and as he became a third generation coffee farmer.

In the year 2002, he began to plant Bourbon, Catuaí, Arábiga and Icatú varities as well as beginning his farm's transition into organic agriculture. With the support and guidance from COMSA, he started to manufacture his own organic compost as he began to understand the importance of soil health in order to maintain productivity as well as to engage in sustainable and environmental production.

The farm is managed as a family enterprise producing high quality coffee through organic production methods, in order to offer a healthy product to the consumer. The farm is generously fertilized with organic compost twice yearly.

To Gerardo and his wife Fátima producing coffee is a family tradition that started almost 100 years ago. As third generation farmers, they continue on a trajectory of excellent quality. Specialty coffee remains at the core of this family enterprise through socially and environmentally sustainable production. They know quality coffee takes patience and a lot of hard work. But to them it is all worth it in order to maintain a family legacy that has provided a livelihood to themselves, their children and grandchildren.

 With years of experience, Gerardo now undertakes wet milling on his own farm, which distinguishes him from a majority of COMSA farmers who simply deliver their coffee in cherry form to the centralized wet mill at COMSA. This allows him to have a greater degree of control on his own production, drying his coffee in his own solar dryers on his farm. He has also experimented with alternative milling techniques. In addition to a high quality washed coffee, Gerardo also produces excellent honey and natural coffees.

It all starts with the selective harvesting of cherries when they reach their optimal ripeness. He maintains close supervision of the wet milling process ensuring that best practices are followed:

Washed Coffee
In Finca Las Flores, care for quality begins at harvest, where cherries are picked at their optimal ripeness. The cherries are then re-selected, removing any damaged cherries with care. After the selection is checked, the coffee iis then de-pulped, fermented wtihout water for up to 8 hours (although this time may vary with weather conditions). The coffee is then washed and transported to a covered raised bed drier, where it dries until it reaches about 12% moisutre content. Drying time will vary depending on weather, but generally it will average at about 9 days.

Honey Coffee
The same degree of care in harvesting and selection of ripe, undamaged cherries is taken in honey coffees as in washed coffees. After depulping the coffee, the coffee rests in a fermentation tank. Once the coffee begins the fermentation process, they move the coffee on to covered drying tables, or depending on wether, on to the patio. Honey processed coffees require constant monitoring of temperature during the first three days of drying, while stirring the coffee every 15 minutes. After three days, the coffee is stirred every half hour in order to achieve even drying down to a moisture content of 12%.  Generally drying times will vary between 15 and 21 days.

Natural Coffee
After conducting the same meticulous harvesting and selection of cherries, the coffee cherries are immediately placed in covered driers where the coffee is dried down, ensuring it is stirred every 15 minutes during the first three days of drying to ensure even drying. The coffee is stirred every half hour thereafterdown to a moisture content of 12%.  Generally drying times will vary from 20 to 30 days.