Ana Beatriz Pineda and Obdulio Espinoza, Monte Alto Farm
We both grew up among coffee plants...
Our parents, and indeed our grandparents, worked the land long before we were born. My husband, Obdulio, was born into a very poor family with ten siblings; a family that barely had enough to feed so many mouths.
I also came from a poor family, but we were a little better off, and my parents were always able to prioritize my education. However, in the late 1990s, after a devastating outbreak of coffee rust, three of my siblings decided to emigrate to the United States in search of better opportunities and new horizons.
Suddenly, I became responsible for all our plots, and although it was a difficult time, it was also during those years that I learned all the ins and outs of coffee cultivation. I trained in soil conservation, water management, shade, organic waste, drying techniques, and preparation.
When my brothers returned, I was not only a well-trained coffee maker, but I was also married to Obdulio, which marked the beginning of a happy and fruitful alliance between the Pineda and Espinoza families.
Today, Obdulio and I cultivate a number of varieties on two plots located in different places, each with its own unique microclimate, allowing us to harvest over an extended season and offer a wider range of beans and flavors.
Obdulio's brother, Nery, owns a processing plant where we also process and store our coffees, and our nephew Francisco Javier is studying at the Honduran Coffee Institute to become a coffee taster. In 2018, at just 18 years old, Javier prepared his first 87 profile of our own Colombia variety, which he sold to Carlos René Guerra, the Honduran national barista champion (16th in the world in Boston, 2019).
Thus, our two families have joined forces to manage a comprehensive coffee business, combining all aspects of knowledge, from cultivation to processing and storage, as well as quality control.
The next logical step in this process is to work directly with roasters around the world who are looking for consistent, high-quality coffees.
Property details
Our combined plots measure 13.5 hectares and both are located between 1,300 and 1,390 meters , although in different places, each with its own microclimate.
The varieties we offer are Bourbon , Catimor , Colombia , Paca and Lempira .
Shade: natural trees such as the izote, the cuanagiquil, and the zapote. Fruit trees: mainly avocado, mandarin, and lemon.
Our farm is certified as fair trade and organic and Rain Forest Alliance.
