Farm Name: "Finca Cual Bicicleta"
Altitude: 1518 masl
Varietals: Catuai, Bourbon, Ihcafe 90, Icatu, Parainema
Farm size: 4 manzanas (3.5 ha)
Harvest : Dec-Apr
Process: Washed and sun-dried
Location: El Trapiche, Chinacla, Marcala, La Paz, Honduras

The inhabitants of the community of El Trapiche in Chinacla had historically devoted themselves to growing sugar cane, which is why the community was named “El Trapiche” after the artisinal mill used to grind sugar cane. Because of its history of sugar cane cultivation, the earth in El Trapiche lacked organic material. It is there where in 1996, Oscar Omar Alonzo decided to start growing coffee, in a parcel of land formerly known as “El Injerto”, surrounded by liquidambar bushes, and picturesque landscapes, not far from the Doña Dina waterfall. Within three years, and through intensive irrigation, Oscar had a bountiful first harvest. By 2001, at the suggestion of the general manager of COMSA, Rodolfo Peñalba, Oscar decided to transition away from conventional production into an organic system. Back then, his farm was only producing about 85,000 lbs of coffee. He was convinced by Rodolfo that through organic production he would be able to achieve above-market prices, and with that decided to cease all applications of chemicals, however, he did not correspond with the application of any organic methods or inputs. The transition was not easy. His production dropped dramatically and he lost hope in his farm. In 2007 he decided that it was necessary to make a dramatic change, and with that change the name of his farm. He came across a littered piece of paper with a drawing of a man riding a bicycle uphill. He realized that bicycles don’t pollute, and that in order to ride them, you are supposed to maintain a balance as you pedal forever in a forward direction. It was at this point that Oscar decided to rename his farm “Cual Bicicleta” or “Which Bicycle”.

Oscar usually tells a story, of a figurine of an American Indian, given to him by a cousin who had emigrated to the United States. Around the time his cousin gifted him this figurine, authorities were working on a hydroelectrical project in in the area in order to bring electricity to the community. Oscar slyly thought of an idea to convince community members to volunteer in the work of bringing in electricity to El Trapiche. He developed a legend around this figurine, that it appeared to him out of the blue in the middle of his field, and that it represented “San Californeo,” a made-up saint. He would only show his community the figure, if they were able to finalize the electrification project on time. By the end of the project Oscar would show the community the figurine which had by then, developed its own legend and small devout following. To keep belief in Californeo alive, Oscar Omar decided to brand his coffee as Cafe CALIFORNEO, standing for “Cafe Limpio, Fuerte, Organico Negociado por Oscar”, or “Clean, Strong, Organic Coffee, Negotiated by Oscar”. Oscar is a model farmer at COMSA, maintaining excellent production practices. Oscar is also very involved in his community, protecting water sources and developing watershed areas . Es una finca organica que mantiene buenas practicas y esta involucrado con la comunidad para cuidado de las fuentes de agua y el medio ambiente, realiza reforestacion en el area de las cascadas. Oscar is proud to have his coffee featured in the preparation of Son Of A Baptist Beer, made by Epic Brewing in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, available across 13 states in the country. In March 2017, Oscar won first place in the regional Marcala Cup of Excellence competition, placing first with a Geisha coffee at 91.14 points.

Tasting notes

Washed process: Orange, cherry, apricot, brown sugar and nougat with a juicy, citric acidity and clean, lingering finish.