San Isidro | Honduras: A New Coffee is Hot Off the Roaster
Tasting Notes: Cherry Limeade | Vanilla Malt | Peach Tea
Elevation: 1300 MASL
We are so excited about this newest addition to our coffee roster and we think you’re going to love it too. The story behind this coffee is a great one as well and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Katia Duke’s San Isidro farm is located in a dry and dusty area near the town of Ruinas de Copán in Copán Department, Honduras. This farm has been in Katia’s family for generations, producing coffee in the most traditional of ways. After Katia grew up and attended college at Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School in San Antonio de Oriente, Francisco Morazán, Honduras where she studied agronomy*, she immersed herself into the world of coffee at every stage of the supply chain. She began a certified barista and roaster, opened her own coffee shop to serve her family’s coffee, and eventually began to assist with international export.
In 2012, the San Isidro farm fell victim to a leaf rust epidemic that affected the entire region and Katia came in to help, using her acquired knowledge about farming to implement more modern and sustainable practices to protect her family’s crops and livelihood.
Still, being a woman in the coffee industry in Honduras has been hard and Katia has been made aware of the necessity of earning her respect as a coffee farmer. On her first day working on the farm as lead producer, all of the men working on the farm refused to show up for her and the only two employees who did show up were women. Since that time, she has built up a team at San Isidro on a foundation of mutual respect and appreciation for one another’s skills. This work has also helped to progress the region as well as the farm. They have recently constructed a new school in the area, as well as implemented a nutritional program to help locals eat and live healthier lives.
* Agronomy is the application of science and technology from the fields of biology, chemistry, economics, ecology, soil science, water science, pest management and genetics to the improvement and management of the major food crops of the world.
