Description
Our newest Direct Trade Coffee comes to us from Joel Padilla’s farm La Bendición, “The Blessing” in the heart of Olancho, Honduras. Where the misty Sierra de Agalta Mountain range frames the fertile valleys, where Joel de Padilla cultivates his coffee with care and passion. Joel is a member of the Honduran Coffee Alliance, a cooperative that champions sustainable farming practices and empowers local farmers through education, resources, and fair pricing.
By partnering directly with Joel, we’re not just sourcing coffee—we’re investing in his community. The Honduran Coffee Alliance ensures that farmers like Joel receive the support they need to thrive, from advanced agronomy training to fair compensation for their hard work. This direct trade relationship cuts out unnecessary middlemen, allowing Joel to reinvest in his farm and continue producing exceptional coffee year after year.
The fruits of Joel’s labor shine in this cup. Scoring an impressive 86 points, his coffee offers a remarkable tasting experience. The beans, nurtured in rich, volcanic soil, yield a cup with medium bright acidity, and a balanced sugary sweetness. You’ll notice notes of ripe stone fruit, like peach and plum with a hint of cocoa. The complexity of flavors speak to the meticulous care that Joel pours into every step of the coffee-growing process.
This coffee is not just a beverage; it’s a story of dedication, community, and quality. Each sip connects you to Joel’s farm in Honduras and the broader effort to support sustainable, ethical coffee production.
About the Producer in His Own Words
“Nine years ago, I bought an old farm and found the property abandoned and completely overgrown with dense vegetation. I thought the farm was lost. I grabbed my machete and began to trim back the thick weeds, when to my great surprise, I discovered acres of coffee trees! Coffee farming had been in my family since 1940 with my grandfather in San Francisco de la Paz, Olancho. In 1959, my father initiated some of the first cultivars with the variety Typica, known in Honduras as Indio. In 1998, my father lost the farm due to the catastrophe that Hurricane Mitch left in its wake. Since then I had dreamed of buying my own farm, and after saving for many years, that dream had finally become reality. So after I discovered coffee growing on my farm I named it La Bendición, The Blessing.
After nine years of hard work restoring the farm, I have expanded to 21 acres, doubled the number of trees with the Costa Rica 95 variety, and planted three additional varieties of coffee. I have diversified my coffee farm with different varieties of coffee, as well as avocado, lime, mandarin, and banana trees. I have experimented with coffee processing methods, including harvesting, resting, and de-pulping times and seen an increase in the quality. I dream of having my coffee placed among the best buyers and having a stable market.
Being a coffee producer enables me to create work opportunities for other people, to see the efforts of hard work reflected in a cup of coffee. I cherish watching the coffee fields transform when they are in full bloom, basking in the scent of honey from their flowers, and when the coffee cherries have ripened to maturity, experiencing the pleasure of drinking a cup of coffee from my own farm and be able to share it with others.
My vision is to maintain the farm and expand, generate additional workers, make a positive impact for the community, positioning my coffee in the best stores, and be a fountain of inspiration for others.”
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