Honduras La Providencia

Honduras La Providencia
What we taste: Cocoa, nutty, balanced
Farm: La Providencia
Region: Siguatepeque, Comayagua
Elevation: 1,300-1,400 meters above sea level
Varieties: Lempira
Processing: Washed

Your coffee purchase helps to create brighter futures for orphaned children in Honduras! This coffee was grown at La Providencia, an orphan care community in Honduras operated by Horizon, a global nonprofit radically transforming the way orphaned children are cared for. The sale of this coffee helps to support programs that empower children to hopeful, sustainable futures.

Read on for more info about this project that has been nearly 8 years in the making!

This amazing community in Honduras is comprised of a 12,000 SF medical clinic with two operating rooms and a dental exam room as well as a school with current enrollment at approximately 200 children. In addition, there are four family homes and onsite agriculture including plantains, chickens, and coffee.

The coffee farm contains approximately 7000 plants, and Marvin, an agricultural engineer at La Providencia, says production is set to increase from 1,600 pounds last year to more than 3,000 this year! The type of coffee plants growing at La Providencia are called Lempira, a variety native to the Lempira region of Honduras, created by the Honduran Coffee Institute. Marvin says the Lempira is a noble bean, resistant to different illnesses plaguing coffee plants. “Of course,” he says, “this depends on proper fertilization.”

Altitude is another major factor in the beans’ development. “La Providencia is situated between 1,300-1,400 meters above sea level, which means the beans can take a bit longer to ripen,” he says. Higher altitude also equals higher humidity, which can mean an increased chance of illness. The soil in the coffee farm is suited to forests, as is evident by the pine trees dotting the landscape between coffee plants. “Where there are pine trees, there is highly acidic soil. We have had to work the soil with materials that help lower the acidity of the soil,” Marvin says.

All of Marvin and the team’s hard work shows up in the cup. This coffee is roasted “medium/dark” to its peak level of sweetness. It’s smooth, nutty, and balanced.