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 ABOUT
US/OUR STORY
In 1997, Armando & Amy Contreras, together with Amy’s
parents, Dale & Melanie Firebaugh, formed a team with a
vision of bringing the finest sustainable coffee from
Honduras to the USA and the world with a firm commitment
to the people and the environment of Honduras.
Armando was literally born on a coffee farm and is the
fourth generation in his family to farm coffee. He grew
up in the small town of San Antonio de La Cuesta at the
base of the Comayagua Mountains. This is where Armando
learned every aspect of farming coffee from his father,
his grandfather “Anastacio” and many other family
members and friends. Armando still recalls times as a
young boy when he loaded heavy sacks of freshly picked
coffee on the back of the family burro and brought it
down from the farm to be sold in “La Cuesta”. The
knowledge he acquired from family and friends, coupled
with years of hand-on experience, has honed Armando into
an expert in the cultivation of fine coffee. Amy adds
her expertise with degrees in Biology, Natural Resource
Management and a Masters Degree in Agricultural
Education. Finally, Dale and Melanie add their years of
entrepreneurial experience.
It is with this knowledge and dedication that we bring
you the best coffee the world and Honduras have to
offer.
ABOUT US/OUR COFFEE
It takes about two hours to drive from San Antonio de La
Cuesta to our coffee farm, La Mora. The rustic road
twists into the Comayagua Mountains through streams and
around hairpin turns, across narrow bridges, through
thickly fragrant tropical montane forests and small
peaceful villages. La Mora rests quietly at an elevation
between 1500 and 1700 meters above sea level. It is here
that we grow our coffee under a diverse canopy of shade
trees without the use of pesticides, herbicides or
fungicides. As the coffee ripens, it is harvested by
hand, peeled and spread out on concrete patios to dry
naturally in the sun. When the drying process is
complete, a second peeling is necessary to remove a thin
yellowish layer known as parchment. The green beans are
then carefully sorted to remove imperfections. Once
these crucial processes have been completed, the coffee
qualifies to be called El Tucan Estate Coffee.
We also purchase select coffees from neighbors, family
and friends. All of the coffees must meet our standards
for quality and sustainability before we allow them to
be called El Tucan Estate Coffee.
The coffees must be:
Grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or
fungicides.
Estate Coffee:
True estate coffees come from one farm. They are never
mixed together, so that each one maintains its unique
flavor characteristics.
Shade Grown:
Care is taken to preserve as many trees as possible and
to plant new trees where possible for the care of the
environment, wildlife and for food supply.
Sustainable:
Sustainability, for us, has three parts. They are
ecological, social and economic. Ecologically speaking,
coffee is a perfect crop because it is a shade-loving
shrub that lives in the lower strata of the forest
ecosystem. It coexists with a variety of species that
contribute to the bio-diversity of the farm, such as
tree ferns, a whole host of tropical flowers, migratory
birds, small animals and large tree species. Oranges and
other citrus, bananas and plantains, avocados and many
others are part of the food items supplied by the farm.
The farm also supplies natural items for making life a
little easier in the mountains of Honduras with basket
making materials, firewood, fresh water and other
household items. Our social concerns include economics.
The workers we employ are provided with a house to live
in, a living wage, bonuses, food, transportation and
land to grow other food items. We also purchase select
coffees at fair trade prices from neighbors, family and
friends which encourages them to continue producing a
quality product with sustainability in mind.
Strictly High Grown:
The higher the better. Coffees grown at 1100 meters
above sea level and higher are considered Strictly High
Grown in Honduras. The slower growth at the higher
elevations produces slower ripening process which in
turn produces a sweeter coffee bean. Our El Tucan Estate
Coffees are always grown at elevations of 1300 meters or
more.
Sun Dried:
Many coffees are machine dried. We believe that drying
the coffee naturally in the sun on cement patios
enhances the flavor and is much better for the
environment.
Many coffees are sold to exporters. The exporters mix
the coffees and sell to coffee brokers. The coffee
brokers sell to coffee roasters. Finally, the coffee
ends up in coffee shops and stores. Quality control
suffers in this process. With Honduras Coffee Company,
the coffee is “farmer direct”. From seed to cup, quality
is maintained through the entire process. In addition to
all of this, it just tastes great! Honduras Coffee
Company is dedicated to providing you with the “best
coffee this side of the equator”.
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