The first coffee of our 2025 season comes to us from the same cooperative that brought us AVIARY#002. A young third-generation coffee grower in Cajamarca, Peru, Nancy Mendoza. received Gesha seeds from Costa Rica via her friend Wilder Garcia and planted them at her 2 hectare farm in pursuit of better prices for her coffee. From Christopher: "Peru, with its soaring elevations and strong cooperative architecture, has quickly established itself as a producer of exceptionally high-quality and sought-after coffees. The adoption of exotic cultivars such as Gesha from collections in Panama and Costa Rica has led to higher prices for many of Peru's smallholders, who grow, on average, on less than 2 hectares of land each. "As I was exploring coffees to feature for 2025 season, I reached out to the supply chain partners we'd worked with in 2024, in the hopes of repeating at least a portion of our purchasing through the same producers. Joel from Yellow Rooster noted that he was importing individual producer separations from the same cooperative led by Maria Nieves, who produced AVIARY#002, Alpes Andinos—including many from women. While women remain both marginalized and minorities within the global supply chain, research demonstrates that involving women in finances of production leads to greater financial security and producer equity. "This coffee, exported through Alpes Andinos, comes from Nancy Mendoza—a young, quality-focused producer who grows on 2 hectares in Cajamarca—and presents in the cup with vibrant florals of jasmine and lavender supported by structured acidity and a fruited character that presents as pineapple, blackberry and mandarin."