by Ayleen Crotty
Have you ever wondered how coffee gets from farm to cup? As Nossa Familia’s Social Media Strategist, I’ve shared stories about our coffee origin partners, including Bayardo Reyes and his Nicaraguan farm, Finca San Jose de las Nubes. Visiting the farm in person, however, was a completely different experience.
Every year, Nossa Familia organizes Coffee Tours that connect their customers with the farmers they work with. These trips offer an immersive experience—meeting producers, seeing the coffee-making process firsthand, and deepening the connection to the people behind the beans. In 2024, they organized trips to both Nicaragua and Guatemala. I chose Nicaragua for its unique hands-on experience, combining a coffee tour with a community service project.
THE THREE PILLARS OF OUR TRIP:
1. Coffee Farm Tour at Finca San Jose de las Nubes
2. Community Service Project
3. Exploring Nicaragua’s Beauty and Culture
SELVA NEGRA ECO LODGE
Before heading to the farm, we broke up the journey with an overnight stay at Selva Negra Eco Lodge. Nestled in the lush Matagalpa Mountains, this charming, German-influenced resort provided a perfect place to rest.
A guided night hike gave us a whole new perspective on the forest. Sleeping birds, nocturnal wildlife and the magic of the jungle at night made for an unforgettable experience.
THE ROAD TO FINCA SAN JOSE DE LAS NUBES
The next morning began with a misty hike, followed by a fresh, delicious breakfast overlooking Selva Negra’s tranquil pond.
We piled into the van with Bayardo and our skilled driver Marlón who expertly navigated the rugged roads of Matagalpa. Bayardo says he trusts his life (and his precious coffee shipments) with Marlón, and we could certainly see why. Along the way, we paused for breathtaking scenic views and to watch a mama howler monkey teaching her baby to leap from tree to tree.
When the road became too rough for our van, it was time to set out on foot - walking the last mile with our luggage strapped to the sides of trusty farm horse. This relaxing stroll to Finca San Jose de las Nubes was a perfect introduction to the farm. We saw workers harvesting coffee and banana trees shading coffee plants. Bayardo explained the evolution of planting methods, highlighting the importance of spacing for healthy plant growth and relying upon the knowledge of the people who have worked the land for generations.
MORE THAN A COFFEE FARM
Finca San Jose de las Nubes is not just a farm - it’s a humanitarian and socioeconomic enterprise.
Bayardo Reyes comes from a long line of coffee farmers but left Nicaragua during the country’s civil war in the 1980s. After a career serving in the U.S. military, he returned to his roots, purchasing land to revive his family’s coffee legacy. Today, his mother still manages the farm’s accounting and Bayardo splits his time between a life in Miami and visits to the farm.
Bayardo’s military background plays a key role in his efficient, people-focused operations. He ensures the farm runs with just enough reserves to support workers in impactful ways. His operations focus on people-first practices, including fair wages, building a safer farm kitchen, healthcare support and a store offering low cost supplies and interest-free credit accounts.
OUR SERVICE PROJECT: THE SCHOOLHOUSE
One of Bayardo’s most significant contributions is a national school on the farm for workers’ children. Gesabel, the school’s teacher, manages all grades in a one-room schoolhouse. For our service project, we helped repaint the school and donated supplies funded by Nossa Familia’s Anniversary Blend.
An unforgettable part of this experience was working alongside Gesabel‘s 8-year-old son, Areysón. He eagerly helped us every day, even skipping dinner to keep painting late into the night. At one point, he snuck around the building to leave his mark - his name, carefully painted in a hidden spot. We all agreed to leave it untouched; a symbol of his dedication to the school.
EXPLORING THE FARM
Our three days at the farm were packed with activity. We stayed at Bayard’s farmhouse, hiked the farm, harvested coffee, watched workers weigh in their daily hauls, saw coffee being depulped, washed and dried.
We also learned that even beans deemed less than ideal still have a market - though they’re not part of what Nossa selects. Perhaps most impressively, we saw firsthand how nothing on the farm goes to waste. Old plastic bottles find new life as woven baskets and garden art - and we even had the chance to try our hand at weaving our own baskets.
Nossa Familia's Plant Manager, Will Schaefer, was struck by the significant improvements since his first visit to the farm in 2014. “The contrast is remarkable - the sophistication of Bayardo’s operation and the way his brother Álvaro, who lives nearby, is so in tune with the coffee process.”
Bayardo was a generous host and educator, sharing his knowledge at every turn. The experience was both enriching and educational, filled with hands-on opportunities and action-packed days.
“A real highlight for me was seeing the whole process and appreciating it more. I already appreciated it, but this took it to a new level. I’m excited to tell the story and share my photos.” - Avalon Clarke, Nossa Assistant Accounts Manager
“I knew coffee harvesting was a manual job, but I didn’t realize how extreme it was and how harsh the conditions were.” - Jeremy C., tour guest
“It was great to hang out at the farm for so much time and feel at home there.” -Tom Brunaugh, Nossa Lead Coffee Roaster
THE FULL CYCLE OF OUR COFFEE
Despite their hard work cultivating coffee, many farmworkers rarely get to taste the high-quality beans they produce. So, we changed that.
We brewed and shared Nossa Familia’s Marigogipe - the very coffee the farmworkers were harvesting that same week. Seeing the workers sip and savor their own coffee, showcasing the packaging and sharing its journey from Nicaragua to Portland was a truly special moment. We all decided this should be a tradition on every future visit.
FROM PLANT TO CUP
Coffee leaves the farm in a big truck that hauls it to the mill for grading and export. It was here that I had my first ever coffee cupping experience, under the expert tutelage of Nossa’s Lead Coffee Roaster, Tom Brunaugh (thanks, Tom!).
Tom said the cupping was definitely a trip highlight for him, “Tasting how consistent Bayardo’s coffees were gets me so excited about buying this coffee in the future.”
At the mill we also visited a chocolate producer, saw their process and sampled their incredible chocolates made from Nicaraguan cacao. I brought home so much amazing chocolate to share with friends and family.
EXPLORING NICARAGUA’S BEAUTY AND CULTURE
We said goodbye to the farm and made our way to Granada for the final days of our trip. There, we strolled the streets, indulged in cake and pastries (a trip theme), kayaked at dawn to spot birds and howler monkeys and ended with a memorable dinner at a farm-to-table restaurant.
Granada was the perfect ending to our long journey; a chance for relaxation, tourism and a little shopping. I had the chance to visit the Soy Nica workshop where skilled local artisans, honoring age-old traditions, craft leather bags from free-range Nicaraguan cow hides in a modern Scandinavian style.
Owner Martin Sigvardsen says, “Our free-range leather has scars and bruises, just like all of us. These imperfections are an important part of our design and give the bags character and them unique.”
The employees are paid fair wages with social security, have good working conditions and the company strives for a 50/50 staff balance of men and women.
A JOURNEY TO REMEMBER
This Nicaragua Coffee Tour was more than just a tourist visit - it was a deep dive into the heart of coffee farming, the warmth of its people and the hard labor that fuels every cup we drink.
I will always remember our plates full of gallopinto (rice and beans), the crispy tostones (fried plantains) from our farmhouse cook Mara and eating cake every chance we could (to satisfy Will and Tom’s coffee and cake game).
From the rugged mountain roads to the hands that carefully harvest each bean, this experience reinforced the importance of knowing where our coffee comes from. And for me, it made every sip of Nossa Familia coffee even more meaningful.
Photo Credits: Julie Hudak, Will Schaefer, Avalon Clark, Tom Brunaugh, Jeremy Condon and Ayleen Crotty
ADDITIONAL READING
Learn about Nossa Familia Coffee Tours
Meet Bayardo Reyes of Finca San Jose de las Nubes
Nossa Familia's 2024 Coffee Trip to Nicaragua
Giving Back to Nicaragua with our Festa Holiday Blend
Nossa Familia's Direct Trade Coffee Standards
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