Loja, Ecuador

Our Farmers through the years

Angel Morena & Manuel Sanchez

We met Angel Morena and Manuel Sanchez while visiting the plantation of another one of our farmers: the Jaya Family. In an act symbolizing the cooperative nature of the Ecuadorian culture, the Jaya Family asked if we’d be willing to purchase some of their friend’s high quality products as well. Together, we all visited Angel and Manuel’s plantation. The plantation had the sweetest, juiciest oranges enveloping their healthy coffee plants. After we roasted and brewed up a sample of their coffee, the citrus notes were immediately evident, and the aftertaste left the strong chocolate flavor that we love. The first 500lbs of Angel and Manuel’s coffee arrived to the States in August of 2019.

  • Location

    Las Lajas, Loja, Ecuador

  • Altitude

    3,300ft. above sea level

  • Process

    Washed Processed

  • Flavor

    Citrus & Dark Chocolate

  • Other Crops

    Oranges, Bananas, Plantains

The Jaya Family

Diego Jaya sent us a Facebook message in early April of 2019 that talked about his plantation. From there, Diego and Shane exchanged WhatsApp numbers and immediately formed a friendship. After Shane connected Diego with Arturo, Diego sent Arturo a small sample of his coffee. This sample was inspected and looked over for defects — however, no issues were found! When Shane and Carter went to Ecuador in July of 2019, they roasted the coffee and tried it. Immediately, they knew they had an incredible coffee on their hands — a coffee grown with care, love, and hope. A week later, the three of them traveled to Las Lajas, Ecuador, to visit Diego and his family. The plantation was even more impressive than they anticipated — beautiful citrus trees enveloped the well-groomed plants and the slopes provided just the right amount of steepness. The first batch of The Jaya Family’s coffee arrived to the States on August 17, 2019.

  • Location

    Las Lajas, Loja, Ecuador

  • Altitude

    4,000ft. above sea level

  • Process

    Washed & Honey Processes

  • Flavor

    Dark Chocolate

  • Other Crops

    Oranges, Grapefruits, Bananas

Napoleon Elizalde

Returning from a visit to the Loja region of Ecuador, Arturo, Carter, Fabricio, and Shane were driving a rental truck through the steep mountains. As they were passing through a small town, called Ciano in Puyango, Loja, Ecuador, the truck overheated, forcing them to stop. As they got out of the truck to ask the townsfolk for water to fill the radiator, Arturo, as he always does, took it as an opportunity to meet coffee farmers. While Napoleon Elizalde was not available at the time, the townsfolk gave Arturo his phone number. Two weeks later, Napoleon visits the Processing Facility in Piñas where the Z Beans team had the opportunity to analyze his product. After a few seconds of inspection, Arturo made the call. Napoleon needed to be a part of our team!

  • Location

    Ciano, Puyango, Loja, Ecuador

  • Altitude

    6,200ft. above sea level

  • Process

    Washed & Natural Processes

  • Flavor

    Floral, Dark Chocolate

  • Other Crops

    Bananas, Oranges, Exotic Plants

Ramiro Pauta

Arturo first met Ramiro at a coffee conference in Loja, Ecuador, in the Spring of 2019. At the conference, the two immediately hit it off. Arturo quickly realized that Ramiro was no ordinary coffee farmer. He not only focuses on his plantation, but he has learned the most intricate details of roasting and being a barista. In the summer of 2019, when Carter and Shane were in Ecuador, they visited Ramiro’s plantation, and it sure didn’t disappoint! The plants were perfectly organized, and the plantation was free of shrubs and weeds. There were multiple different types of coffee: catucai, caturra, Geisha, Pacamara, Tipica, Bourbon, amongst countless others. It was a sight to see, and one we truly appreciated being able to experience. The first 5,000lbs of coffee from Ramiro’s plantation in Malacatos, Ecuador, arrived in the States on August 17, 2019.

  • Location

    Malacatos, Loja, Ecuador

  • Altitude

    5,900ft. above sea level

  • Process

    Washed Processed

  • Flavor

    Banana, Dark Chocolate

  • Other Crops

    Oranges, Bananas, Pitajaya