A FAMILY THAT STRIVES TO PUT THE SPECIAL IN SPECIALTY

Olga Rodriguez inherited a part of the family land when she became a coffee farmer.  Her parents were pioneers in producing fairly high quality coffee and had dedicated their livelihood to agriculture. When Olga got married to Luis, this land became a shared commitment. They have been growing coffee on it generation after generation. Olga and Luis have been continuing this tradition of coffee production in the family for the last 30 years. They were the first partners of the Nicaraguan Ensemble back in 2015. When they exported their coffees directly through This Side Up, they were able to get a higher price for their quality. It was the first time they actively reaped the economic benefits of their labour through coffee trade. Ever since they haven't stopped investing in improving quality as well as expanding production.

Olga and Luis have been stewards of the community. La Guadalupana is characterized by being a farm that preserves the environment since the only source of water in this community is on their lands. Actually, the estate consists of two distinct parts, Olga's and Luis's. Much of the land in the community is owned by Olga's family. In fact, before Luis bought his lots, it used to be owned by a relative of Olga's. When this relative died, the land was sold to Louis to keep it in the family. Today La Guadalupana supplies fresh water to most of the community, donated the local soccer field and offer wet milling service to those who do not have the machinery.

During our visit in 2020 we felt like coming back home to a remote family. The warmth and generosity of the Almendarez family is as apparent as their will to create direct ties and add value to their coffee. Not just the land but their family's aspirations also are hereditary in the Alamandarez clan. Both Arianova and Benhazir, their daughters are training to become not just coffee farmers but exporters, cuppers and quality experts as well. As far as the This Side Up partnership with the Almandarez family, even when EXPOCAMO went bust, we kept talking occasionally. Even though they’re small, they were instrumental in getting the group back together in their current form.

 
 

CULTIVARS

Red Catuai, Paca, Catimor and Java

elevation

1,427 meters

NOTABLE

La Guadalupana is characterized for being a farm that preserves the environment since the only source of water in this community is found on its land.

 

PROCESSING

Natural: Coffee cherries are harvested at their ripest point, selected and naturally processed. They are then driven to Santa Lucila in ventilated boxes, for dry milling, sorting and exporting. During the season, Silvio sometimes makes around two round trips from his estate, to the Drymill. This is a long process, since not so many boxes fit on the truck and the dirt road is bumpy and complicated to drive.

TASTIFY™ CUPPING NOTES

2024 LANDED SAMPLES

Almendarez family - anaerobic washed
Almendarez family - washed

 

  • The price you pay for Almendarez family’s coffee Anaerobic washed p/kg. We agreed on this price directly with the farmers, disregarding the volatile US Coffee C price.

  • Here the farm gate is inclusive of the all the costs incurred by the farmer to also deliver the coffees as export quality. Depending on whether the farmer owns a mill or drying facility, we have facilitated a contract in cooperation with our farmer friends and exporting partners to invoke the rest of services needed to get the green coffee ready for export. All the farmers in the Nicaraguan ensemble are paid a fixed price for their coffees (Washed/Natural). Farmers are paid premium price for their experimental processing methods.

  • For the first time they are exporting via a local cooperative that helps us them complete all the paper work and use their license to send the coffees to Rotterdam.

  • The cost to ship from port of Ocotal to Rotterdam

  • Average financing cost owed to (mostly social) lenders. This ensures immediate payment to the farmers when the coffee leaves the farm or port. This is also includes stock surchage, storage fee and customs

  • A standard TSU premium on all coffees designated exclusively to accelerate farmers’ own regenerative agriculture project. Read more about the regenerative projects done by Almandarez family here (Link coming soon).

  • This Side Up compensation for spending time and resources importing this coffee. Our work includes year-round contact with producers, managing export, shipping, import, warehousing, grading, sampling, finding and keeping roasting partners for the Almendaraez. € 1,22 is This Side Up’s Model 1 markup. For a full overview of our modular margin construction, see the Trade Models page

 

Contact The
Almendarez family

Contact Arianova and Benhazir from the Almendárez family directly through calls or via whatsapp (Spanish only).

CONTACT : Arianova, Benhazir

TEL : +505 8655 3429, +505 8413 5755

 

Photo gallery

You may use these videos freely to promote the Almendarez family’s coffee amongst your customers.