In February 2011 we returned to La Union, Honduras to meet with our Partnership Farms regarding this season’s harvest. Local producers had their coffee professionally cupped at IHCafe (The Honduras Institute of Coffee). IHCafe then provided us with a cupping of the 16 highest scoring Micro Lots. This year we will be purchasing Micro Lots from six producers. Micro Lots are small lots of coffee that we personally select to provide the best taste experiences to the consumer and to recognize coffee growers that produce extraordinary quality. A Micro Lot may come from a small farm, co-op of small growers or from a small section of a larger farm. By partnering with indigenous farmers we are able to personally inspect the conditions in which our coffee is grown, harvested and processed while paying prices to these farmers that are well over 50% what they would otherwise receive through Fair Trade and like programs.

single origin: light roast
partnership coffee: micro lot
Honduras
El Aguila, Lempira
Francis Castillo

An earthy aroma leads to a smooth, smoky flavor with hints of dark chocolate. This coffee features a low acidity no often found in a light roast.

Processing: wet hulled method, patio dried
Varieties: Caturra, IHCAFE 90, Lempira
Elevation: 4400’
Harvest Season: December – March 2011
Small Batch Roasting at its Finest

About Uncommon Grounds Partnership Coffee Producer Francis Castillo

Along the tops of La Union’s mountainous peaks live the people of El Aquila, a community founded just over a century ago by bringing in workers to pick the coffee of large landowning families. There are many individuals such as Francis Castillo who try to make the most of a tough situation. He lives with his wife and father and has managed to secure some land for himself to grow basic grains and his own coffee. Through training sessions and a loan for fertilizer through Union MicroFinanza Francis is able to reap larger and higher quality harvests. The problems that face his community are tremendous: El Aquila has no constant supply of water in the town and even though neighboring towns have electricity, Francis’ community does not. While in Honduras Uncommon Grounds visited Francis and told him personally that they would be purchasing his coffee harvest.

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