“If you do not love coffee, you cannot produce great coffee”
Marysabel Caballero
A Legacy of Coffee Excellence, Community, and Environmental Stewardship.
Welcome to El Puente, where the pursuit of coffee excellence intertwines with generations of dedication, unwavering community commitment, and a profound respect for the environment. Our story is anchored in the remarkable journey of Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera, a journey as diverse and vibrant as the flavors we bring to your cup.
Roots of Coffee Heritage:
Marysabel Caballero's connection to coffee runs deep within her family's history. She proudly represents the fourth generation of coffee producers, with the tradition dating back to 1907 when her great-grandfather, Don Felipe García, began cultivating coffee in Honduras. Don Felipe's dedication led him to grow, process, and transport coffee beans on mules in leather sacks to El Salvador for export to Germany. In return for his coffee, he received essential goods such as cloth, tools, and fertilizers, which he distributed through a small store in Marcala.
Sadly, Felipe passed away prematurely, at the age of merely 44; his son, Marysabel’s grandfather, Arsaces Garcia, was a mere nine years old when this occurred. At the tender age of 14, he entered into marriage and assumed responsibility for the family farm. Sandra Isabel, Marysabel's mother, is the eighth child of Arsaces. In 1975, Sandra and her spouse, Fabio Caballero, purchased farmland from Arsaces. This is where Marysabel’s own coffee journey began.
Moisés Herrera, hailing from Guatemala, initially worked for a coffee exporter. However, a fateful visit to Honduras in 1992 ignited his passion for coffee, particularly in the municipality of Chinacla, just beyond Marcala's borders. Moisés and Marysabel married in 1996, embarking on their journey as coffee cultivators together. Their very first farm, La Maltide, marked the beginning of an extraordinary partnership rooted in coffee heritage and shared dreams.
A Shared Journey of Experimentation:
Their journey is deeply rooted in their embrace of change, willingness to take calculated risks, and tireless commitment to innovation. They spare no effort in the quest for perfection, with each passing year offering fresh opportunities for honing their craft. With more than 50 farms spanning four diverse regions and a vast spectrum of 56 coffee varieties, their expedition unfolds as an ongoing pursuit of excellence.
In 2012, a pivotal moment arrived as they embarked on several drying experiments, exploring various techniques, ranging from raised beds beneath shade nets to concrete patios and mechanical dryers. The objective? Unlocking the secret of preserving coffee freshness over extended periods. The answer emerged with drying the coffees in a slow manner, this comes in both low-temperature drying in the Guardiolas for 72hrs or using the raised African beds under shade, ensuring the coffees maintain their fresh, delightful flavors long after harvest.
In 2020, their dedication to sustainability led to a significant move—relocating their processing facilities to reduce water consumption. This innovative redesign relies predominantly on gravity to transport coffee, further minimizing its environmental footprint. Around the same time, Moises expanded operations, adding a complete dry mill, granting El Puente full control from seed planting to the green coffee export stage.
Moises and Marysabel's commitment extends beyond perfecting their processes. They've diligently pursued different coffee cultivars, broadening their selection to include Geisha, Java, SL28, Batian, Pacamara, Mokka, and more. Each cultivar adds a unique flavor profile for our discerning customers.
Environmental Stewardship:
El Puente is profoundly committed to the environmental sustainability of its farms. Their unwavering focus goes into improving the soil to create a healthy growing environment for their coffee trees. They produce organic fertilizer from cow and chicken manure mixed with coffee cherry pulp and other organic materials. The soil undergoes annual analysis to ensure it nourishes the coffee adequately.
All water used for processing undergoes thorough filtration before being released back into nature, preserving the purity of local water sources.
Recognizing the critical role of forests, Moises and Marysabel preserve some parts of their farms as forested areas. They understand the impact of deforestation on water sources, droughts, and erosion. Their commitment to maintaining biodiversity and forests on the farm reflects their dedication to environmental sustainability.
To further promote environmental health, they refrain from using pesticides on their farms. Instead, they manage shade levels to control the growth of fungi and other coffee diseases. They have also adopted wider tree spacing, deviating from conventional practices, to reduce the risk of fungus and leaf rust. Their innovative approach reveals that when coffee trees have more space to flourish, they grow healthier and stronger.
At El Puente, we are honored to share this legacy of excellence, community, and environmental stewardship with you. With every sip of our coffee, you partake in a journey that spans generations, embraces innovation, and cherishes the earth.
Join us in savoring the rich flavors of tradition, sustainability, and the boundless possibilities of the coffee world.