Esmeralda Mendoza

Esmeralda grew up picking coffee on her family’s farm, Finca Los Ángeles, in the mountains of Jinotega, Nicaragua. The farm was passed down to her by her mother, Victoria, who is also a coffee producer and a member of the Gold Mountain Coffee Growers network. Together, they represent two generations of women building a future through coffee.

Esmeralda’s path has required an extraordinary amount of determination. She did not begin attending school until she was 13 years old, walking three hours each way to get there. As an adult, she raised her son, Jeremias, on her own while managing the farm, caring for her family, and taking on the daily work required to keep Finca Los Ángeles moving forward.

Today, Esmeralda runs the farm independently. She oversees the harvest, manages the people working alongside her, and makes the decisions that determine the future of the farm. One of her goals is to purchase land for Jeremias so that he can continue the family’s work and build something of his own.

We first met Esmeralda through our sourcing partners at Gold Mountain Coffee Growers. Her coffee immediately stood out, but it was her drive, honesty, and commitment to her family that made us want to build a deeper relationship with her.

Esmeralda became the first producer supported through our Neighbors Program, which was created to make our relationships at origin about more than purchasing coffee. With help from our community and Gold Mountain Coffee Growers, New Heights contributed to the construction of a wet mill at Finca Los Ángeles.

The wet mill allows Esmeralda to process more of her coffee at the farm and gives her greater control over the quality and value of her harvest. It is an investment in infrastructure that will remain with her family and support the farm for years to come.

This coffee represents the kind of relationship we want New Heights to build. It connects Esmeralda and her family in Jinotega with our team and community in Houston. More importantly, it reminds us that every coffee has a person behind it, and that our responsibility should extend beyond a single purchase or harvest.

We are proud to roast Esmeralda’s coffee, proud to share her story, and grateful to be a small part of what she is building at Finca Los Ángeles.