Our Story
Native (‘Lenca’) Honduran coffee farmers have grown their crops for generations, turning out good crops but never attaining the competitive qualities or larger market access of their competitors. In the early 2000s, Sister Mary Kennedy, SSND, began inviting industry professionals to the Opalaca region to guide the farmers in adopting better growing practices, including organic fertilizers, pest controls, harvesting and processing.
She slowly won the trust of heretofore independent family growers to start a cooperative, COANILL, to pool their efforts, and bring their resources and crops together for a more critical mass to take to market.
Many Hands Many Lands purchases coffee beans directly from a co-op consisting of local farmers in the village of Monte Verde in Honduras.
It is our mission to return the largest possible portion of retail coffee prices to the families of the co-op. A Fair Trade commodity, its pricing is quite favorable among comparably sourced blends available in Minnesota, or anywhere.
