María Norma Solórzano, Finca Los Naranjos and Las Casas

Besides working on my own farm, for six years I picked beans for other coffee farmers, cleaned their farms, and prepared their harvest. I never stopped working, but after those six years of hardship, I had saved $3,500 and was able to buy enough bricks and cement to start building.

Now, my three adult sons and one daughter live in the United States, and last year they sent me enough money to finish the house where I still live with my three youngest daughters. I no longer work on other people's farms; instead, I dedicate all my time to my small plot of land. When I was a child, I worked the land with my father. My grandparents had started growing coffee, but they were primarily cattle ranchers, while my father decided to invest all his time and effort in coffee cultivation.

I followed in his footsteps, partly because growing coffee is the only thing I learned really well, but also—luckily—because working the land and spending time on my farms is simply what makes me happiest. The weather is fantastic year-round, and I feel incredibly free because I'm always outside, in nature, where the only thing I hear is birdsong. It's peaceful, and I can organize my days however I like.

Well, it's not all paradise, of course. The workdays are long, and during the harvest season I hardly ever get to rest. After coffee rust hit us in 2012, it's also been tough financially. That's why I feel so lucky to have learned to harvest the best coffees during the second round. My daughters and I pick the beans together, only the ripest ones, all uniform in color and flavor.

This is what allows us to obtain a much fairer price, but it is also what fills us with pride: knowing that now, people from faraway countries can enjoy a cup of our really good coffee.

My girls and I will continue to focus on growing and selecting the best beans for you, because everyone wins. You can make your customers happy, and we can pay our bills.