More pictures...I realize we haven't posted a group picture. Here is some of the group. We were on a very old, huge tree on Sergio's property! Sergio is the one I am standing next to.

Here are some pictures of coffee cherry that they have picked from Sergio's farm -- these are ideal in that they pick ONLY the ripe. He must be going for the Cup of Excellence!

Day 3 - Feb 7

We've been a few days in posting behind because we have been travling all over El Salvador. Today we visited Finca Los Planes  -  this was a microlot and is conseidered the 'Model Farm'. Sergio is the owner, and his hospitality and his passion is amazing. He allowed us to pick cherries and to rake the beans on the patio so we could experience it. He spent the entire day with our group, even when his crop for this year is already sold! So we will have to wait until next harvest! But, I will to try to call others to see if we can get some into our shops. Here are some photos at the farm.

Day 2 - Feb 7

This was an extremely busy day. Lots of traveling but sooo worth it. We did alot of things, but here are some highlights:
We did a cupping of 40 different farms -- yes 40! That was alot. These 40 cups were from a coop of local farmers in the area. They were persent while we cupped. This is great because we were able to give the immediate feedback on their coffee -- if we liked it, what we liked about it, etc. And they too could share information on their coffees.Tim, the leader from Cafe Imports, was so professional about the whole process. He wanted to make sure we gave only positive input to the farmers, and he would provide the remainder of the critique. This was a very huge visit for them -- to have potential buyers of their coffee. Of the 40, I would say possibly 8 could be bought by Cafe Imports.

Day 1 - Feb 6

We just got WiFi access again last night, so I haven't been able to post. Our days have been full. Monday we visited a cafe and met the World Barista Champion 2011 Alejandro Mendez. He works for a cafe Viva Espresso, owners Lily and Frederico Pacas, who also owns their own coffee farm. Their passion in their work is unbelievable. They literally take coffee from the ground up. They have their own farm to having 3 storefront espresso shops! Message from Lily to all of us: please take care of the process once we receive the green coffee - from roasting it properly, to brewing it, and to serving it. All these steps are crucial for the final product to the customer. Here is a picture of the world champ -- very young and motivated.

Forgot to mention that the gal from Russia is a World Champion Barista! Hopefully we will get some good tips from her. Interestingly, she is a mixologist -- she creates all the drinks for the shops.

We have a really good group with us again. Lots of people in similar situations as Jill and I -- roaster / coffee shop owners, but some with multiple stores, another is a roaster for a pretty big company, and some coming from a long way -- Russia and Australia! We are just starting our journey today -- we'll be visiting a few farms and then driving out to Chalatenengo where we will be staying in a place alittle bit more rustic than we are now. Pictures...and more to come later. Access to internet is still limited.