Emilia Barahona
Finca Emilia, El Aguacatal, San José, La Paz, Honduras
Emilia Barahona started in the coffee business in 2002 with her husband Edwin, securing a loan when they were just 23 years old. Through their hard work, perseverance, and ingenuity, they have paid off their loan, even in the face of devastating coffee leaf rust disease. Emilia has since diversified the varieties of coffee planted on the farm to try to increase the coffee plants’ resistance to disease and pests.
As a result of their success, Emilia and Edwin, with their extended family, formed the Cafesa Association to support producers in the area with training in the management of their farms and specialty coffee processing. The land for the Cafesa has a warehouse and a coffee cupping lab where they provide services to other coffee producers in the area, as well as advising them on how to improve their processes and connect to coffee buyers.
The addition of a cupping lab provides for a more standardized and regular evaluation of the crops of coffee produced by the members of the Cafesa Association and allows for more negotiating power with potential buyers. Finca Emilia has also employed a unique solar powered drying system for their coffee that helps with quality and uniformity.
Emilia is also very proud of the fact that the farm has achieved Certified Organic and Certified Fair Trade status. All of these advancements are reasons why we at Seattle Coffee Works are happy to partner with Emilia as she continues to innovate and improve the coffee at Finca Emilia and in the La Paz region of Honduras.
As a result of their success, Emilia and Edwin, with their extended family, formed the Cafesa Association to support producers in the area with training in the management of their farms and specialty coffee processing. The land for the Cafesa has a warehouse and a coffee cupping lab where they provide services to other coffee producers in the area, as well as advising them on how to improve their processes and connect to coffee buyers.
The addition of a cupping lab provides for a more standardized and regular evaluation of the crops of coffee produced by the members of the Cafesa Association and allows for more negotiating power with potential buyers. Finca Emilia has also employed a unique solar powered drying system for their coffee that helps with quality and uniformity.
Emilia is also very proud of the fact that the farm has achieved Certified Organic and Certified Fair Trade status. All of these advancements are reasons why we at Seattle Coffee Works are happy to partner with Emilia as she continues to innovate and improve the coffee at Finca Emilia and in the La Paz region of Honduras.