It's our Birthday, Sweet 16!

June 29, 2020 1 Comment

16 years ago this week, June 29, 2004, San Lazaro Coffee was born. Our founder, Jarrod Brown, was a very young missionary that for some reason had this crazy idea that gainful employment, specifically for women, would do more to transform a life, now and for eternity, than giving things away.

There are so many great memories driving into the remote jungle village of Las Pitas when the road was hardly a road. Confession, our coffee has come a long ways since our humble beginnings. Honestly, it tasted really really bad back then. We had no idea what we were doing but very nice friends and supporters bought the coffee nonetheless.

And just a while back one of those great friends, gifted me back one of her purchases from way back then! (Evidence that the word was out on the quality back then since she still hadn't used the coffee.). Today it's far more than a group of 20 women roasting poor quality coffee over a fire in a metal drum.

Today, San Lazaro Coffee is 20 women led by their committed leader, our farm manager,Nohelia Hernandez, taking care of a 400 acre piece of land in the La Botija Mountains.

The quality nowadays is exceptional and we're blessed to have great retail partners like YOU!!

As well as our roasting and distribution partners including:

Rob Webb founder of Just Love Coffee Roasters

Ryan O'Rourke, founder of Ironclad Coffee Roasters

Jason Pearl founder of Roasted Pearl Coffee

Matt Holley from Mugs Coffeehouse

Scarlett Rea Lyons founder of Lyon's Coffee Roasters

KeHE Food Distributors and the KeHE Cares Foundation

Carson Parodi from Mill47 Coffee,

Erin McAtee founder of E&B Coffee Roasters

Roberto Barr founder of OpDeployed

Together we are partnering to cultivate dignity and purpose now and for eternity on a remote mountain top, through a coffee farm!

1 Response

Mary Paul

July 25, 2020

I enjoyed reading your stories today. I brought a pound of your coffee and I’m eager to try it. Dios te bendiga! Thank you from Redding, California, USA

Also in San Lázaro Coffee Blog

It's Never Too Late to Start Over

July 17, 2024

In 2023 members of the San Lazaro Coffee team were given a unique opportunity: to go back to school and work towards a high school diploma. For many in the remote mountains where we work even graduating from the 6th grade is oftentimes out of reach. Now they would be able to go to school at the Lazarus Academy.

From Field to Family: A Story of Perseverance

May 15, 2024

Our friends Lucia and Santos are small coffee producers in the community of Cacamuyá near our coffee farm in Honduras. They have been married for 30 years and have been blessed with 8 children and 11 grandchildren.

Q&A with Jason Pearl from Roasted Pearl

March 14, 2024

I started roasting coffee in 2011, right after my first trip to Mission Lazarus. I had been reading about home roasting for months leading up to our first trip. I had no idea of the San Lazaro farm. When we arrived at the Posada and drank the coffee I was blown away! I asked about the beans and was informed that the coffee is grown "over there", pointing across the valley to the farm and Mission Lazarus ran the farm. Light bulbs went off in my head and I mentioned I've been curious about roasting and asked if I could bring some green home. I took 5 lbs home and roasted them in my garage later that summer. I was hooked! Nothing better than freshly roasted coffee.