Legacy Series - Nicaragua, Finca el Lino
ORIGINALLY RELEASED
July 2023
HIGHLIGHTS
Legacy Series: Spotlights family-owned farms
Origin: Nicaragua - Dipilto, Nueva Segovia
Farm: Finca El Lino, operated by the Valladarez family
From: Sweet Maria’s & Coffee Shrub’s “Farm Gate” Program
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Big cocoa flavors serving body-ody-ody. I’m roasting these beans medium-dark, delivering a well-balanced coffee with mild nuttiness and NO fruity surprises - something that’s enjoyable black or with milk, and will definitely shine as espresso.
ORIGIN STORY
Our LEGACY SERIES highlights coffees produced in family-owned farms. This one’s from Finca El Lino in the Jinotega region of Nicaragua. Nicaragua, known for being the land of lakes and volcanoes, has optimal climate and soil conditions for growing coffee; about 80% of Nicaraguan coffee is grown in Jinotega. Finca El Nino is one of several farms in the region owned and operated by the Valladarez family. Over the last 60 years, the family’s dedication to producing high quality specialty coffee has earned them several awards, including multiple “Cup of Excellence” placings.
Today, father-son duo Luis Emilio Valladarez and Olman lead the family operation. Luis’s coffee journey started with a small lot he inherited from his grandmother in 1957. At the time, local access to/from town was incredibly difficult; all goods had to be transported by horseback. Fast forward to today + include a lot of hard work and business-savvy, Luis has grown that single farm into a ten-farm operation (!).
I got Luis’s beans from coffee bean supplier Sweet Maria’s / Coffee Shrub based in Oakland, CA. The coffee is part of their direct trade buying program called “Farm Gate.” Through this program, Sweet Maria’s & Coffee Shrub are committed to paying coffee producers premium prices for quality coffee. Programs like Farm Gate ensure farmers have enough margin to actually reinvest their earnings and improve their quality over time. At a minimum, Farm Gate guarantees prices that are 50% over Fair Trade (FT) pricing, but oftentimes, the prices are 100%+ more that FT minimums.
This is a coffee that recognizes and celebrates when great people are responsible for great coffee.
MORE ABOUT THE LEGACY SERIES
Our Legacy Series shines a light on coffee from family-owned farms. Beans featured in this series come from family farms that have been passed down for generations, and others that may just be getting started. With each roast, we feature one farm/one family at a time, giving each the spotlight they deserve. Growing coffee takes tremendous skill, physical strength, mental fortitude, and just the right amount of luck. Layer on top of that: high production costs and volatile market prices, thin (or negative) margins in a global supply chain that has traditionally never prioritized its growers, and the pressure of providing for your family. The Legacy Series is about passion, hard work, resilience, and grit. True legacies aren’t born, they’re cultivated.
