About Finca La Isla

Alba Cardona was born in Ataco departamento de Ahuachapán in El Salvador. Alba grew up in a family of coffee producers. She inherited a farm by family; her grandfather passed it down to her father and her father to her. She would work on the farm, however, had to stop going due to dangerous people in the area. After getting married and having kids, Alba took a job at a bank therefore she didn’t have enough time to focus on it anymore; she abandoned it for a while. After her kids grew older, she had hopes of restoring her farm. Throughout the last four to five years she’s done anything necessary regardless of prices to save the farm. She used the money she had saved up to invest it back into the farm. With the help of a worker who used to work with her grandfather, she was able to maintain it and bring it back to life. That same worker also found a family to live on the farm so they could not only have a better quality of life, but maintain the farm themselves. They’ve lived on the farm for 9 to 10 years now and the father and son are the ones who work on the farm daily. Along with the coffee and family, the farm is home to a few chickens, hens, and ducks. 

Although she’s been able to restore her farm, she faced many challenges most coffee growers do. There is a lack of respect towards coffee growers from locals and the government, especially towards women. Not only do they have to face “machismo” or men with a strong sense of pride, but they’re often underpaid for the coffee they grow. Alba sells to beneficiaries and says that she’ll give them the coffee and let them pay later, but they take advantage by making sure they pay later because by then prices are lower so they end up paying the farmers less than what they deserve. According to her, this is very common. Not only are the customer and beneficiaries a problem, but so are the people who move onto grounds that are strictly for coffee. Alba says the weather is another challenge she and other farmers face. Due to the irregular weather and unpredictable rain, it often soaks the coffee, ruining it. People who can’t maintain their farms sell to people who either want to build a house or grow corn, destroying the land that could have sustained coffee. It’s not only a matter of ruining coffee but an environmental impact as well. Those who desire to grow corn have to cut down all the trees that block the corn from sunlight because they only grow with sunlight.  

In order to learn how to overcome these challenges, she started taking classes this March for more knowledge about farming. She’s familiar with coffee because it’s been in her family; however, she wanted to know about the correct soil needed to grow coffee, the correct materials to use, etc. Overall her goal was to learn the ins and outs of her farm. Alba’s dream is to buy micro-lots and cultivate different types of coffee. She’s striving to make her dream come true in hopes that she’s another successful farmer who never gave up. 

Detalles

TAMAÑO: 10 manzanas

ELEVACIÓN: 900-1000 mts

VARIEDADES: Borbon - Pacas - Catimores

PROCESO: Lavado

PERFILES DE SABOR:

UBICACIÓN: Canton La Ceiba - Ataco - Ahuachapán

Información de Contacto:

Email: albacardonaa33@yahoo.com