Interview Finalist Cup of Excellence 2020
• Name and Last Name: Virginia Romero
• Age: 52 años
• Cooperative:Zacarías Padilla
• Farm Name: La media luna
• Variety Caturra, borbón catimor y parainema
• Other crops: onion, pipian, passion fruit, cabbage, home gardens.
• Organic / Conventional: Organic
• Farm history / family / why the name of the farm?
1. How did your history with coffee start?:
The farm belonged to my husband, he was the founder of the cooperative, his name was Julio Cesar Olivas. We started with one Manzana, my husband worked it, and he received help from PRODECOOP, we became members of the cooperative and we learned how to work the coffee as it was our source of income and family support. Together with my oldest son José Esteban, we are working on the farm. The rest of my children help me at harvest time and we hire two or three other workers to be able to finish work on time in the plots we have.
• Age: 52 años
• Cooperative:Zacarías Padilla
• Farm Name: La media luna
• Variety Caturra, borbón catimor y parainema
• Other crops: onion, pipian, passion fruit, cabbage, home gardens.
• Organic / Conventional: Organic
• Farm history / family / why the name of the farm?
1. How did your history with coffee start?:
The farm belonged to my husband, he was the founder of the cooperative, his name was Julio Cesar Olivas. We started with one Manzana, my husband worked it, and he received help from PRODECOOP, we became members of the cooperative and we learned how to work the coffee as it was our source of income and family support. Together with my oldest son José Esteban, we are working on the farm. The rest of my children help me at harvest time and we hire two or three other workers to be able to finish work on time in the plots we have.
I had 8 children, one died, now I have many grandchildren
3. What were the good practices that you implemented that made you a winner of the Cup of Excellence program?
I think that the best practice is the dedication to coffee and doing organic practices, cleaning the grass with machete, fertilization with natural materials, good management, and nutrition of the plant, keeping the plant healthy and vigorous.
4. What do you think of the cup of excellence program? Have you participated before / What do you think about participating?
We can improve the farm with this program. I feel good about participating and being organized in the cooperative, it is my second time participating and I think that my quality this year is much better.
5. How do you feel about being one of the winners?
Happy, I think my coffee has good taste and aroma.
6. In what will you invest in the profits you earn from the cup of excellence?
It only comes to me to invest it in the coffee, in the handling, to continue with the good practices and thus to have better yields.
7. Have you previously participated in the Cup of Excellence program?
Yes, 2 years ago
8. Why your coffee is a quality coffee? What do you have to say for the customers?
I thank you for consuming my coffee, I hope you always enjoy it as it comes from hard-working hands and ready to provide you with good quality. We are Prodecoop, we are small producers who prepare it with love, and the quality is a legacy that always thinks of our consumers.
3. What were the good practices that you implemented that made you a winner of the Cup of Excellence program?
I think that the best practice is the dedication to coffee and doing organic practices, cleaning the grass with machete, fertilization with natural materials, good management, and nutrition of the plant, keeping the plant healthy and vigorous.
4. What do you think of the cup of excellence program? Have you participated before / What do you think about participating?
We can improve the farm with this program. I feel good about participating and being organized in the cooperative, it is my second time participating and I think that my quality this year is much better.
5. How do you feel about being one of the winners?
Happy, I think my coffee has good taste and aroma.
6. In what will you invest in the profits you earn from the cup of excellence?
It only comes to me to invest it in the coffee, in the handling, to continue with the good practices and thus to have better yields.
7. Have you previously participated in the Cup of Excellence program?
Yes, 2 years ago
8. Why your coffee is a quality coffee? What do you have to say for the customers?
I thank you for consuming my coffee, I hope you always enjoy it as it comes from hard-working hands and ready to provide you with good quality. We are Prodecoop, we are small producers who prepare it with love, and the quality is a legacy that always thinks of our consumers.
