Melvin Calix

Finca Grevilea
Sigamane, Marcala, La Paz
Honduras

Finca Grevillea is located about 4 kilometers from the town center of Marcala, in the small village of Sigamane. Melvin and his mother acquired this land in 2008. The coffee farm had been abandoned for many years, but still had healthy orange, mandarin and grevilea trees. Hence, they decided to name the farm Finca Grevilea. With much effort, the Calix family built their house and today manage a healthy coffee farm.

In 2013 they were badly stricken by leaf rust, also known as roya, and had to conduct a complete renovation due to the old age of the trees. At the same time they took the initiative to diversify their production by starting a chicken farm, which today allows them to take advantage of byproducts in the production of organic fertilizer for their coffee farm.

In addition to coffee, the Calix family has planted a multitude of flowers that attract many birds and bees, whose colors and calls brighten the landscape. It's beautiful to wake up here, to the smell and sights of flowers, the freshness of the farm and the singing of birds! 

Since 2015, they have been experimenting with special prepartions of coffee, acquiring an interest for natural process coffees, with which Finca Grevilea has managed to obtain very high cup scores. The objective of Finca Grevilea is to position its coffee as one of the best in the region.

Coffee Process: In order to obtain a good coffee, only ripe cherries are harvested, picking only red ripe beans, avoiding green and over-ripe. Coffee is de-pulped in a hand-cranked depulper. The coffee dry ferments for eight hours and is washed through a channel, in order to separate lower density beans. Coffee is then slowly and delicately dried in solar dryers, being turned as required and ensuring that the temperature does not get too high inside. Once 12% moisture is reached, the coffee is packed and taken to COMSA's warehouse.

Information courtesy of Café Orgánico Marcala, S.A.