The La Minita farm is steeped in history and tradition. Originally a sugar cane farm in the early 1900’s, it was converted to a coffee farm in the 1930’s when it was sold to then-future president of Costa Rica, Jose “Don Pepe” Figueras. Figueras held an interest in the farm until the early 1970’s, when it was sold to Clovis McAlpin, the father of Bill McAlpin who built the farm into the model of quality and sustainability that we know today.

The name La Minita means “little mine,” and refers to a mine on part of the farm that was originally thought to be filled with gold. Turns out it was actually Pyrite, or “fool’s gold,” and coffee remained the only true form of “gold” to be found on the farm.

Dancing Goats® Coffee made our first purchase from La Minita in the late 1980’s and has been buying the coffee every year since 1992. We regularly send employees to the farm to learn about the culture, tradition, and process of coffee production and processing. We often refer to the La Minita farm as our first true relationship coffee.

The coffee is fully washed and traditionally fermented. It is a majority of Caturra with percentages of both red and yellow Catuaì, and the Hybrido Tico varieties. The coffee is sun-dried on a concrete patio and undergoes meticulous sorting prior to shipment. What truly separates La Minita from the pack is the level of care taken at every step in the process. From the harvest of only the best of ripe cherry to the removal of any bean that is not the right size or shape, only the crème of the crop ends up being La Minita grade. In fact, only about 25% of coffee produced on the farm gets shipped as La Minita.