Cooperativa San Carlos first started in 1980 made possible by agrarian reforms that were implemented by the El Salvadorian Government which redistributed land to small farmers. The 672 Ha farm run from 1100 to 1665 masl on the Cacahuatique Mountain, which during the civil war in the 1980’s was a strategic strong point for the Government Opposition Forces as it allowed views from its summit far around the region.The farm has 126 Associate members with their families all living on the land together working on the farm as a group with the land split into 25 separate lots. Originally, they just grew pacas and bourbon and have recently added a small amount of Pacamara in the higher lots of the farm. The wet mill and patios for the processing the coffee is situated at 1400masl up the mountain providing a perfect location for drying the coffees as it is situated facing north/north east which is the direction of the prevailing winds which helps to maintain stable temperatures for drying coffees.San Carlos Dos is also part of the Blue Harvest Program (started 2016) run by Catholic Relief Services which looks at helping to address water tables and areas highlighted for water shortages in Central America. They were chosen due to the Morazán department being highlighted as a potential area for famine due to the lack of water available and poor soil health. This program was initiated during a time when production was dropping and leaf rust la roya causing devastation to the coffee lands in EL Salvador. On the land the members of the cooperative and started to implement with help good soil and water management practices; minimising the use of agrochemicals and promoting organic fertilisers and implanting better practises for land management. On the land they manage maintain 338 infiltration wells that help to provide drainage for rainfall. The Cocahuatique mountain provides the water source for the town of Osicala and these changes are helping improve the water supply to the community and families. As well as the water supply these changes have also seen an increase the in the average yield on the land per manzana taking it above the average for El Salvador.During the harvest they work together to collect the coffee paying special attention to the collection of the cherries. The land is harvested by the different lots which is then kept separate for pulping, drying and cupping to assess the quality. We have coffee from 3 sections in the higher reaches of the farm named Monte Carlos, El Coro and La Florida.The cherry is floated before being pulped and then once pulped is then left to dry ferment in tiled tanks for 24 hours depending on the weather and it is then washed and cleaned before being placed on raised beds where it is turned regularly at stable temperatures between 28-38 degrees before being dried down to 11 % moisture for 16 days.From here the coffee is then left to rest in the warehouse at 1400 masl by the patios and when it is ready to be shipped the coffee is taken down to the their own small mill at the bottom of the farm where they can process the coffees and prepare them for shipment. The Cooperative have their own export license and exported their first specialty coffee container with Falcon Coffees in 2017.

San Carlos Dos

Trá Coffee Roasters was founded in Tramore, Co Waterford in September 2017 by Tom Weldon. 

Tom's job took him all around the world and he always enjoyed sampling all the various coffees wherever he was, be it in Lebanon, Liberia or Chad. Tom grew more and more interested in the coffees he was drinking and started studying about the different characteristics of each coffee and the natural next step for Tom was to explore whether he could source and roast his own beans. 

What started out as an experiment became a small business. Tom brings his keen eye to the process, an attention to detail in his selection of beans and his roasting technique. We hope you enjoy the coffee that Tom expertly roasts and we hope that wherever you are enjoying our coffee you get that feeling of intense freshness that you get when you walk on the beach on a cool windy day..... 

Tra Coffee Roasters

Farm: Bosque Lya
Varietal: Bourbon

Finca Bosque Lya achieved fame in specialty coffee circles when it took first place in the 2004 Cup of Excellence. Whilst he competition’s focus is all about cupping, if extra points were awarded for a farm’s beauty then Bosque Lya would be in an even stronger position. This is a 96hectare farm - 64 of which are dedicated to coffee, the balance being left as natural rainforest. However, in many parts of the farm it is difficult to recognise what is pure forest and what isn’t, since so many shade trees are used. There is an abundance of wildlife including birds such ashumming birds, orioles and hawks and many migratory species. Mammals include wild cats, armadillos, deer and possum. There are endless beautiful flowers including colourful rare orchids and epiphytes that grow on the branches of the trees. The views from this farm are also jaw dropping, with the mountains and volcanoes of west El Salvador and Guatemala on the horizon. The towering El Chingo Volcano takes centre stage in this dramatic scene. Finca Bosque Lya is situated in the municipality of Santa Ana on the foothills of the IlamatepecVolcano (or Santa Ana Volcano as it now more commonly known) in the Apaneca Mountain range of western El Salvador. The farm was established in 1932 when Gustavo Vides Valdesnamed his property in honour of his newly born daughter, Lya. The farm name Bosque Lya translates to - Lya’s forest.Bourbon is the most prevalent variety on the farm – mainly red though but there is a little orange and yellow too - though there are many other varieties grown for experimentation and diversity, including Pacamara, Caturra and Typica. An altitude range of 1,473 to 1,650 metres above sea level brings about coffees of great complexity that are sweet and lively.Ripe red cherries are handpicked between January and March and taken to a collection point to be hand-sorted by pickers before being taken to the El Borbollon mill. On arrival, the cherries are emptied into separate tanks for different lots from farms around the region. Water is used to move the cherries up a pump and into a ‘Pacas’ depulper (of El Salvadorian origin) which works using a cylinder pushing against a metal wall to remove the skin of the cherry from the beans. The pulped cherry is composted with calcium and then re-distributed between farmers using the mill as fertiliser for the next harvest. The sticky beans are then moved in channels to fermentation tanks where they will rest for 13 to 15 hours and naturally present bacteria and microbes break down the sugars and alcohols in the mucilage of the bean.The fermented beans are then moved to a washing machine where fresh water is used to remove any remaining mucilage and prepare the beans for the drying patios. All water is recycled and is used to move fresh cherries around the wet mill. The washed beans are then taken to the drying patios and kept separate by lot. They will dry there for around 8-10 days, though El Borbollon are experimenting with extending drying periods by laying the beans densely and covering them for parts of the day. It is believed that extending the drying time will result in more complex nuances in the cup.The dried parchment is then left to rest for around a month and a half before being hulled to remove the parchment. Once hulled, the beans are hand sorted by a group of around 40 women who remove any defects. The women work in shifts, are paid above minimum wage and are highly skilled at their work - our lot from Bosque Lya will be left with 0-1% of defects. The mill owner, Eduardo, told us he could source a machine to sort the beans but it would result in the loss of many jobs. Once the hand sorting and defect removal is complete, the sorted beans are then packed into GrainPro and 69kg jute bags ready for shipment.

Bosque Lya

Farm: Monte Bonito
Varietal: Mixed

On the road between Manizales and Honda sits the small town of Monte bonito that border the slopes of the Cerro Bravo and has a population of less than a thousand inhabitants. The town still holds onto the traditions of the campesinos and allows a view into the history of life as farmers in the high Andes of Colombia. The town has a tumultuos history being heavily affected by the civil war and three times was taken over by the FARC in its past.Most of the coffee growers from this region, are very small with only between 1 - 3 hectares with 89 associates in this group. They are responsible for full management of the farm and will pick the coffee themselves only asking for help from their neighbours when needed.During the harvest the coffee is picked, depulped and left to ferment for between 16 to 18 hours. Next day the coffee is then washed and is ready for drying. Some of them have ´´Eldas¨ (on the roof of the house), some others ¨carros quindianos´´ (drying beds with a rail system ) the rest have a parabolic tents for drying the coffee for between 10 -14 days depending on the climate.After this the coffee will then be delivered to the Manizales Cooperative collection point in the town. Here it is assessed and separated according to quality where the producers receive extra payment for good quality. There is also an extra premium for producers who deliver the coffee to the Cooperartive below 11% moisture. From the collection point the coffee then travels to the cooperative warehouse in Manizales where it is stored.After this the coffee is then milled and prepped for shipment.

Colombia

Located in the city of Jacutinga (Southern Minas Gerais), in the High Frontier Mogiana, our farm is in the optimal place to grow Arabica coffee.

In addition to the ideal climate and soil, we are at an extremely favourable altitude for the cultivation of high quality special coffees, with crops that can reach 1,340m (4,400ft).

The total area of Alto Alegre Farm is 520 hectares, the area devoted to
coffee cultivation is 65 hectares with remaining area devoted to growing
cereals and preserving natural resources.

Brazil

Farm: Tariku Yirgacheffe
Varietal: 74112 Ethiopian landrace

Tariku Mengesha is the solely owner and produced this natural coffee entirely on his farms, the farm is located throughout the Banko Chelchele kebele (neighbourhood) of Gedeb woreda, south of Yirgacheffe and just west of the bulgy border with the vast Oromia region.Tariku applied the basic agronomic practices and keep the field free of any weeds, grows pulse crops in his coffee field so as to maintain the fertility of the soil.Also does the pruning practices with the technical help from Technoserve and distict Agricultural experts. He process the coffee with the help of Tesfaye Roba processed this lot as a traditional Natural process, first by soaking the cherries to remove all immature, floaters, overripe and foreign matters and than drying on raised beds for 28 days.While coffee is Mengesha’s primary income, which he uses to support his family that includes 10 children (3 boys and 7 girls), he also grows navy beans and false banana, called “enset,” which produce no edible fruit but whose root and heart ( rhizome and pseudostem, if you want to be botanically accurate) can be harvested. The average enset matures in four or five years, and the plant can provide around 80 lbs of starchy food, usually fermented underground for up to a year, after which the doughy substance can keep for up to a decade. While the fibers in the heart of the plant can be boiled, the most popular iteration is a fermented enset “bread” or “cheese,” called “kocho” – quite strong and foreign to the western palate, but a staple in Southern Ethiopia.

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San Carlos Dos