María Lidia Rivera, Finca Las Fincas

I like to roast the coffee beans from my own land in a clay skillet on a wood stove…

The taste is more authentic, earthly almost, I dare say. The softly hot glow of the skillet’s clay marries well with the roasting beans, and the wood stove allows for a slow roast. But I know that many people frown upon these ‘outdated’ practices nowadays, so I also have coffee roasted elsewhere, for a more consistent result. 

Anyway, I started picking beans when I was seven. My stepfather took me with him to his finca, and, fortunately, the harvest season in Honduras coincides with the yearly school holidays. I loved learning too, writing, reading, mathematics, so I’m glad that I was also able to attend school when I was a little girl; I consider that a privilege that I was given.

When I married, 37 years ago, we grew a few coffee plants behind our home. Little by little, our hobby grew into a serious enterprise and now we live for coffee, and coffee is what gives us life. My mom gave me a small plot of land around a decade ago, and we also have the land that my husband and I bought together. 

Nowadays, I work a lot with my son, who, of course, is much younger and stronger than I. So, I focus a lot on keeping the finca clean, picking during the harvest season, admin and bookkeeping, and also preparation and processing. 

My goal is to continue to work hand in hand with my son, and learn how to make micro-lots that qualify as Specialty.

Farm facts

I own 1,8 hectares and the plot is at 1,320 meters. The coffee is FTO certified and the varieties we grow are Lempira and Catimoro.  There are some pine trees to provide shadow, as well as copalchi, and izote to mark the limits of the land and break the wind.

This farm is Rain Forest Alliance certified.