Where does your coffee come from?

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The La Fortaleza Farm, translated in English to “the fortress”, became a model farm to show that the coffee industry could once again flourish in Chiapas, Mexico.

Meet Pascual Castillo and Maria Esther Saut, the faces of La Fortaleza.

They have been a beacon of light and hope for small coffee producers throughout turmoil. What once started as a cattle farm, is now home to a thriving coffee farm of many small producer partners who had already been working for years on strong growing practices and a strong community when we found them, now are a Farm-Direct partner of BIGGBY® COFFEE.  

In 2018, a state-of-the-art dry mill was built at La Fortaleza and a new company was established to process coffee and prepare it for export. Pascual retained his invaluable knowledge of finding markets that afforded the best prices for the producers and now there currently are several programs managed through La Fortaleza to bolster the coffee community. Ongoing annual training in all processes including coffee nurseries, agronomy, processing, drying coffee, and transport. Additionally, laboratory training where coffee is roasted and tasted to determine quality is also available. For farm workers, housing has been built for foreign workers, fair wages are in place, as well as dining services, a loan and support program, and a program to donate equipment.  

Beyond coffee, Maria Esther has worked vigilantly to bring mobile clinics into communities to screen for breast cancer and other diseases annually. She has also helped landowners with documentation to ensure they have titles for their land, access to state IDs, and the ability to register their businesses. The La Fortaleza management team also works with municipal authorities on improvement and maintenance of the power grid and roads.  

BIGGBY® COFFEE began buying coffee from La Fortaleza to be included in our BIGGBY® Best blend. At first, 60% of the coffee was to come from La Fortaleza itself and 40% from small producers working with La Fortaleza. But over time, as farms are rejuvenated and converted to more sustainable practices, more and more small producers are being added to swap those percentages. La Fortaleza and COFINCAF work with around 2,000 small producers advising on improving quality and yields for a better price.  

When BIGGBY® COFFEE began purchasing from La Fortaleza, 4 small producers were handpicked for the amazing work they were already doing. Their names are Miguel Angel Cruz, Don Pascual Hernandez, Salomon Demeza, and Martha Vazquez. 

Either by chance or reputation, Miguel Angel Cruz, Pascual Hernandez, Salomon Demeza, and Martha Vazquez all crossed paths with Pascual Castillo, Maria Esther-Saut, and La Fortaleza. Through their hard work and dedication, each of them has become pillars in their own communities. Each of them has applied the advice coming out of La Fortaleza, increasing their yields and improving the quality of the coffee they produce. However, just as Pascual and Maria Esther have been a guiding light, our four small producers have paid it forward to improve the lives of their families and communities.  

Since the initial boots on the ground visits to the Chiapas region, word has spread that sustainable practices work and that Farm-Direct, while not easily accessible by all producers, has come to Chiapas. Miguel, Pascual Hernandez, Salomon, and Martha now each play vital roles in their own communities – converting farms back to coffee, ensuring proper practices are followed, and bringing new opportunities to get high quality coffee to a market that will pay a fair price. Boots on the ground still requires verification that standards are being upheld, but now often comes with requests to visit other farms and families who are following in the footsteps of our Coffee Heroes. 

Learn more about the OBIIS mission.

To follow along on the journey and travels of Co-CEO Bob Fish and his wife Michelle, visit OneBIGGIslandInSpace.com 

What does Farm-Direct Certified mean?

100% Farm-Direct certified means that every farmer or producer BIGGBY® sources from [for that coffee] has been personally selected and vetted by our co-CEO Bob Fish through an organization called OBIIS. OBIIS has a rigorous set of standards that all coffee producers must adhere to in order to carry the BIGGBY® Farm-Direct certified stamp, and requires that all Farm-Direct coffee farmers practice sustainable, regenerative, organic farming practices, treat their employees fairly, and invest in their local communities.

BIGGBY® COFFEE is bringing a name, a face and a place with every cup of coffee we serve.