With subtle nuances of roasted nuts and cocoa, our medium-roast Organic Early Bird Blend features beans grown on Smithsonian Bird-Friendly Certified™ farmland in Latin America. This certification requires strict shade to ensure multi-layers of canopy over the coffee. This creates a protective habitat for migratory bird populations. It also results in beans that are delicately flavored, with a smooth, full body.

In 2013 we began our partnership with the Smithsonian to add a Bird Friendly certified coffee to our lineup. Years later, we are still their longest standing partner, roasting the most certified Bird Friendly coffee in the US. Bird friendly coffees don’t just benefit migratory birds by protecting the native habits in which they thrive. They also benefit coffee producers by increasing biodiversity on the farm and providing a new way to sell their coffees.

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La Prosperidad de Chirinos is located in the remote mountains of the Cajamarca Region in Northern Peru. Chirinos was in 1968 with just 36 members. They have now grown to over 700 members, roughly 30% women, from several communities in Cajamarca region.

We have worked with Chrinos and local non-profit to implement infrastructure and technical support focusing on maintaining good agricultural practices, proper drying technical and financial education. We source our lots from four farmer clusters (approx. 296 producers) of the cooperative in order to focus our efforts and have a larger impact for growers. Chirinos supports its members through education and sustainability initiatives, maintains model and learning gardens, a coffee nursery, and a guinea pig farm (a food staple here) as part of a food security program. We have been buying from Chirinos for over 10 years – as one of our most reliable suppliers, we have grown our volume as the group has grown. Presently, we purchase multiple lots of their exceptional coffees for various uses including Organic Early Bird Blend. It’s a great example of a real win-win partnership.