Honduras - 18 Conejo
Biodynamic Coffee and the belief in four tenants: LOVE, SOLIDARITY, HARMONY and JUSTICE
This is our first ever offering from Honduras, and Amy was so impressed with her visit that she purchased the entirety of this particular lot- so you won't find this specific coffee anywhere else! We are honored and excited to offer this coffee, and we hope that you can appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went from growth, harvest, roast, to cup.
In the second week of March 2020 the founder of Repetition Coffee, Amy Pope, had an incredible opportunity to travel to Honduras alongside Joe Marrocco of the German coffee trading company List + Beisler. This was Amy’s first sourcing trip to Honduras and she was fascinated at the scope and quality of ecological farming practices she encountered.
From the moment she stepped off the airplane and hopped into one of two minivans used for the journey, the vibrancy and heart of this country were on full display. Beautiful lush jungles, roadside stands bursting with fresh tropical fruits and cold coconuts, and hosts that went above and beyond by throwing surprise dinner parties. It would be remiss of us not to acknowledge the complicated history of Honduras, such as the night curfews that were in place, but the majority of this trip was spent in the countryside with farmers and producers, far from the bustle and immersed in the beauty of the land.
The 18 Conejo Co-op is the first biodynamic farm in Honduras and the second in all of Latin America. Many of the original members came together to create refuge for victims of domestic violence by giving them a safe place to stay, with an opportunity to become entrepreneurs. The founding ethos of the co-op centered on the idea of forging leadership roles for women and protecting human rights, all while placing utter importance on mother earth and agricultural practices that are nice to the environment. The women believe in these four tenants: LOVE- of human life, SOLIDARITY- we are all responsible to bring love and to be of service, HARMONY- necessary to respect the dynamic equilibrium in nature, and JUSTICE- the ethical fight for the life of all sentient beings. It was quite obvious when they started growing coffee plants in alignment with their ethical values that it had to be the biodynamic way.
The difference between biodynamics and organic deals with humidity, temperature, and weather – biodynamic is all about adding vitality to the soil. An incredibly rigid calendar system based on the positioning of the planets becomes the framework for when to apply natural bacterias, fungi and nutrients to the soil (all made up of intricate, natural recipes). The biology and health of the soil will inherently affect the quality of the coffee they are able to produce. Principles of biodynamic farming always value qualitative product over quantitative.
We had a fantastic local artist named Molly Murphy create a beautiful label for this coffee that gave a nod to its roots. The rabbit references the 18 Conejo Co-op while the cow horns and plants with numbers directly reference specific biodynamic practices with items such as 502 yarrow flower, 503 chamomile, 504 nettle, 505 oak bark, 506 dandelion, and 507 valerian flowers. You may easily read more information on biodynamic soil should you so choose!
