Clementino Ramirez - Honduras

Juicy and bright with zesty acidity. Orange blossom and guava. Silky body reminiscent of red apple sweetness.

Origin: Honduras
Region: Selguapa
Producer: Clementino Ramirez

Elevation: 1700 masl
Variety: Typica / Bourbon 
Process: 96 hours fermentation - Washed

Roasted for: Filter

Our first time sourcing coffee from Clementino Ramírez, who was one of the first producers that our long-time partner, Semilla, connected with at the very beginning of their work in Honduras in 2019. 

Along with his brothers, Clementino was among the first, if not the very first, growers to begin cultivating coffee in the small hamlet of Selguapa, located high in the Montecillos mountain range. While the family’s history in coffee production dates back to the 1980s, it was only in 2019, when Semilla met Clementino and his family, that they began taking steps toward accessing a differentiated specialty market.

This connection to the external specialty market came through Jesús Galeas, Clementino’s son-in-law. At the time, Jesús was working with a company focused on identifying high-potential coffees in often overlooked regions of Honduras. Drawing on his experience as an IHCAFE field technician, Jesús traveled to remote communities to provide training in farm maintenance, selective cherry harvesting, fermentation, and drying practices. One of his first stops was Selguapa, where his sister was assisting her husband, Clementino’s son Milton, on the family farm.

Situated at 1,700 meters above sea level and planted primarily with heirloom varieties such as Bourbon and Typica, the farm showed clear potential. Jesús was confident that, with careful processing, these coffees could reach a much higher quality level, and that assessment proved correct.

Traditionally, coffee in Selguapa and much of the Montecillos region has been sold through an intermediary-based system. Producers typically sell their coffee as cherry or pre-secado, meaning it is depulped and partially dried for just three to four days before being sold. Prices within this system are extremely low, leaving producers in a persistent state of economic precarity. Even in relatively strong years such as 2024, farmers in the region reported farmgate prices of around USD $0.85 per pound for parchment coffee, not including transportation costs. In some cases, producers never receive payment at all.

These conditions placed immense strain on Clementino and his family. Shortly after Semilla first met him, Clementino and his son migrated to the United States out of necessity, seeking to repay debts accumulated after years of selling coffee at bottom-market prices. Even in the years when part of their production was sold at differentiated prices, only the top lots were selected, with the remainder sold into the conventional market.

Clementino’s journey north involved significant hardship, including kidnapping and extortion. He eventually arrived in Seattle, where he worked for nearly five years, holding multiple jobs and sending the majority of his earnings back to Honduras. Well into his sixties, his efforts allowed the family to repay their debts and purchase an additional plot of land, which was planted with coffee the following year.

Although Semilla has worked with Clementino and Jesús since 2019, it was only in the past two harvests that Semilla was able to purchase the extended family’s entire coffee production.

Clementino returned to Honduras in early 2024 to work alongside his family throughout the harvest, helping address severe labor shortages that continue to affect remote, high-altitude regions of the country. Beyond his role on the farm, Clementino has become a respected figure in neighboring communities such as Toriles, Buena Vista, and Cantolal. Through his standing and relationships, he has helped introduce Semilla to other smallholders in the area.

With Clementino’s support, Semilla’s project Sueños de Semilla has grown to include approximately 25 local smallholders, many of whom are exporting their coffee for the first time.