Lisbeth Espinoza, Finca Montaña Verde (El Mirador)
I still vividly remember the moment I discovered how insanely important coffee has been to the quality of my life long before I realized it.
One day, when I was 13 and my father was showing me how the new crop on our farm was blooming, he told me that those flowers would become grains, and that the grains, in turn, would pay for my food, my education, our house, and almost everything else I did and owned. "If," he added, "if all goes well and we're wiped out by rust and the price in New York doesn't drop too low, and the weather doesn't wreak havoc."
For him, it was an everyday comment. He was used to facing and battling adverse conditions every year. But for me, it made me realize abruptly how dependent our family is on elements completely beyond our control. That night, in bed, I couldn't sleep, and I felt restless for days afterward. I wanted to help my father and my family, but what could I do, still so young and, of course, not even remotely prepared to work like an adult?
And after a few days, suddenly, I knew, instinctively. I asked for a camera for my next birthday and started taking pictures of every little thing that happened on our farm, no matter how insignificant it seemed. I took thousands of pictures of the grains and the bees, the flowers as they bloomed, the harvest, the drying, and the preparation of our crops. Literally everything and every moment was captured by me, sometimes to the amusement of the rest of the family.
My efforts didn't amount to much at first, but then I discovered social media, and especially Instagram. I created an account ( @cafemontanaverde ) for our family coffee business, and since then I've been steadily growing it. I also decided to study marketing and international business at the best university in the country, and my family could only afford it because I managed to get a scholarship.
What's fascinating is that, from the very first day of my studies there, I naturally connected everything I was taught to our farm and our particular circumstances. Since coffee is by far Honduras's main export, the university focused a large part of the courses on coffee, but I took it to the extreme and adapted everything I learned to our own situation in the family business.
Since graduating, I've been able to focus full-time on the business side of being a coffee-growing family. Because, in effect, growing coffee also means cultivating relationships, selling our harvest, and building a community.
I believe the well-being of our community is especially important, as 60% of the population of our town, San Marcos, depends directly on coffee for their income. I spent five weeks in Santiago, Chile, with our partner, Mr. K, in 2022 for an internship, and there I saw for the first time how people live in a country much wealthier than my own.
When I returned home, I started a program to help a local school with motivational talks, school supplies, and sometimes fruit and healthy snacks. We do this in partnership with Señor K, who provides the donations to make it possible.
I also see this social work as an extension of my spiritual beliefs. In fact, we are all here for a reason, and if I am better off than the children in my community, I consider it a blessing to be able to share some of my time and privileges with them. In our community, we experience a lot of emigration. Parents leave their farms and travel abroad to support their families from afar. The children are left behind, and sometimes I wonder what future we have if we can no longer care for our children.
That thought takes me back to that shocking day on our own family's farm, when I was 13 years old and my father told me that my life and well-being depended directly on what the international market was willing to pay for our coffee. I didn't think it was fair, and I'm still frustrated by it, but now, at least, I'm able to defend us against the worst consequences of this unbalanced business model by seeking preferential prices for our coffees and helping a new generation of children.
Only by working together can we overcome obstacles and grow. Our family business is called Montaña Verde, and my own farm is called "El Mirador" because of the breathtaking views of the valley and the nearby village.
Every member of our family contributes their expertise to the company. My cousin Francisco, for example, is in charge of quality control and is a certified coffee taster. Together with my father, we develop strong, distinctive profiles for our microlots, allowing us to offer a wide and distinguished range of coffees. We prepare washed, natural, and honey-processed coffees, and Francisco is also working with anaerobic fermentation. Some of the flavors are quite funky, and all of them offer the chocolatey, creamy, and fruity notes characteristic of our region.
At El Mirador, I focus on soil and tree conservation, and I have a particular fondness for honey and natural micro-lots, which I dry for 15 days (honey) or even up to 20 (natural) on raised African beds. Curious to learn more? Eager to try one of our coffees? Feel free to visit our Instagram account or get in touch. We're a bright and ambitious family!
Property details
The property is located at an altitude of 1,125 meters and measures 4.5 hectares .
The main varieties are parainema , catimor and catuaí .
The shade is provided by native trees of our region, such as Oaks, Malsinca, Guamo, Cedar and Cacao Nance, as well as linden trees, whose fruits we use for our own consumption.
The farm is certified organic , fair trade and RA .
