Creating a Ripple Effect Beyond the Farm

July 18, 2023

Ada Tercero is a 56-year-old homemaker, born and raised in the community of Guanijiquil in southern Honduras. Ada and her husband, Pilar, have a beautiful family of seven children and five grandchildren. Like many families in our region in Honduras, Ada’s family life has been marked with the struggles of generational poverty. In 2001, Ada, Pilar and their family relocated to the community of Las Flores in search of better job opportunities.

Starting over from scratch in Las Flores was not easy. Ada and Pilar did everything possible to ensure that their family did not go without the necessities of life, working on farms and in any other temporary jobs they could find. But the road was tough, and they depended heavily on their faith in God to provide for their needs, which included feeding seven young children and providing them with an education despite the few opportunities available in the area.

Eventually Ada and Pilar managed to buy a small piece of land, which they paid for with a great deal of effort, despite the many sacrifices they had to make for their children. They then went on to build a small wooden house. Despite their difficult journey, they were so happy, making sure to give praise and thanks to God for blessing them with their own land and a home.

After some time, Ada decided to plant coffee on the small plot of land they had purchased. However, the cost of maintaining these plants was very high, making it difficult for Ada and her husband to make ends meet. Nevertheless, they continued on with faith that things would turn around. Over time, the coffee plants multiplied and produced beautiful coffee cherries ripe for picking.

Ada began selling her coffee to the local cooperative, but the prices they paid were very low and it took up to a year to receive payment, which meant that she had to go into debt to keep the coffee supplies coming. Ultimately, this led to losses rather than profits.

You may be wondering why we’re telling you about Ada and her small farm. Well, our stories are connected in an awesome way. In 2020, the demand for our coffee had begun to outgrow what our farm alone could produce. That year, San Lazaro Coffee began buying coffee from Ada and other small producers on our mountainside, paying a premium to these small farmers and providing payment upon delivery. This is how we began supporting the growth of small producers and improving their standard of living.

Ada says she feels proud, happy, and blessed to be part of this team of small producers who sell their coffee to San Lazaro every year. The security of receiving a fair and timely payment has changed her life and that of her family. Additionally, one of her daughters, Martha, has worked at our farm for the past four years, which brings her a great deal of joy as she is able to earn a thriveable wage through a dignified job.

This story is proof that something as small as where you buy your coffee can unequivocally change the trajectory of an entire family’s future.

By drinking San Lazaro Coffee, you change lives now and for eternity - not only on our farm team, but beyond. Families across our mountainside are now able to sell their coffee at a fair price and with secure payment every year, providing financial stability that they could not have gained otherwise.

Thank you for your continued purchases and for supporting us in such a big way. You are helping to create a ripple effect that goes beyond what we ever could have imagined when we established San Lazaro Coffee farm back in 2004.

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