Los Primos
Manuel De Jesus Vallecillo Fernandez
7
Manuel De Jesús Vallecillo Fernández (Finca Los
Primos)
Manuel Vallecillo is a resilient third-generation coffee farmer
who grew up embraced by his family's rich coffee traditions. At the
age of 23, his grandfather gifted him a plot of land nestled at
1,200 meters of altitude in the renowned region of Santa
Bárbara, Honduras. Manuel poured his soul into this land for
eight years, but like many small farmers, he found himself trapped
in a crushing cycle of low yields and poor market prices.
Heartbroken, he made the incredibly difficult decision to leave his
home and seek better opportunities in Houston, Texas.
However, the call of the mountains never faded. Inspired by the
growing success of his coffee-farming friends back home, Manuel's
passion was powerfully rekindled. He began returning to Honduras
annually, eventually finding a beautiful balance between his two
homes. His native Santa Bárbara has become globally revered,
famously producing Cup of Excellence winning lots that score
astoundingly high and fetch over $130 per pound at auction.
In 2010, Manuel boldly purchased 10 hectares in his hometown of El
Ocotillo. Alongside his cousins, he planted seven hectares of
coffee, lovingly naming the farm "El Primo" (The Cousin). Today,
one of his cousins manages the farm, keeping the family tradition
fiercely alive. After securing an impressive second place in a 2017
National Coffee Competition, Manuel found his ultimate calling: a
lifelong commitment to continually perfect the magic and
consistency of his spectacular coffee.
