We are happy to have Alexa Marin, a small-scale coffee farmer in Nicaragua, visiting with us in Sacramento this week! Alexa Marin — like many coffee farmers in Central America — suffered a great blow from Coffee Rust, a fungus that destroys coffee plants.
The Coffee Rust arrived on Alexa’s small organic farm in 2012. Our first visit trip to her farm in Dipilto was depressing. It looked like a stick farm — plenty of coffee trees, but few leaves and no cherries, as the fungus got the better part of the farm.
Last year, Alexa came to visit us in California, as well. At the time, her coffee harvest had fallen by 90% and she was contemplating selling the farm. With encouragement and support from her cooperative, PRODECOOP, and coffee companies ETICO Imports, Thanksgiving Coffee and Pachamama Coffee Cooperative, this year Alexa was able to invest in 8,000 new coffee plants!
Your support has created a positive impact for Alexa and her community. Thank you!
Alexa is doing great and her farm is well on the way to recovery. Here is a video message from Alexa, with transcription below:
“Hello, my name is Alexa Marin and I live in Nicaragua. My cooperative is called Ramon Savilla and I am very grateful to all of you for your support in re-planting my farm. As you can see, we have made our investment! Part of this investment came from your support — thank you — this helps us to improve our quality of life. Now my sons can continue to attend high school and I am going to continue to work! We very happy and very grateful.”
