New Direct Trade Coffee!
We are so excited to announce our next direct trade partnership! A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure to meet Nelson Raul Amador, founder and owner of De La Finca Coffee Importers. Nelson is a fifth generation coffee farmer who decided to found an importing company to help his family and other coffee farmers establish direct trade relationships with roasters.
Here's more about De La Finca and Nelson in their own words:
At De La Finca, we understand both the needs of the coffee farmer and coffee roaster. A fifth generation coffee farmer, Nelson Raul Amador started De La Finca Coffee Importers in 2013 with the intention of supporting his family and other small coffee producers from his home country of Honduras
Through direct trade partnerships, producers receive more money for their hard work producing coffee and roasters received ethically sourced, consistent, high quality coffee.
We proudly import fair trade and organically farmed coffees and also partner with women-owned and operated farms. Through this supply chain model, we not only are able to empower and connect both farmers and roasters but we are also able to reinvest in local coffee growing communities through long-term school projects and initiatives, realizing our long-term vision for sustainable and independent communities.
“When I came to the United States to learn English, I was surprised to see how coffee produced by families like mine served as a main point of connection and conversation in the daily lives of so many Americans.” Nelson Raul Amador, Founder
Upon quickly realizing coffee in the U.S. was sold at high prices through a complex import system leaving farmers with little profit, Nelson decided to initiate change. He started De La Finca Coffee Importers with the goal to eliminate the middlemen between producers and consumers.
“Instead of seeing coffee pass through as many as 6-8 hands between farmers and consumers (as is usual in the coffee industry), I make genuine, direct connections between coffee roasters, consumers, and coffee producers, like my family.”
Nelson's primary focus has been on Honduran coffee as that is his home country and where his family's farm is located, but he has been meeting farmers in other countries and slowly expanding the varieties and origins De La Finca provides. After trying several of Nelson's coffees, we knew which one we had to get first:
Honduras Finca Santa Lucia Organic: Finca Santa Lucia is owned by Nelson's grandfather, Raul Rodriguez. Raul is a third generation coffee farmer who inherited his farm from his father, Don Ermenegildo Rodriguez. This is coffee with pedigree and you can taste the history of family innovation in every sip! It's incredibly clean, balanced, full bodied and just utterly delicious! Look for notes of milk chocolate, caramel and orange with an almond finish. Also available roasted!
