LA MOLIENDA
A Secret-Santa-type, care-package project
At the heart of the Women in Coffee Project is the goal to bring together strangers around the world and celebrate women in coffee-producing countries. Right now, all of us are living in an increasingly isolated/digital moment in time, and we can't easily turn to our practiced love languages (i.e. in-person events or tastings).
So, we have to build new outreach norms! We bring you La Molienda.
Molienda is the Spanish word for grinder. One of the last legs in the long journey of coffee, the grinder unifies. We put coffee beans of slightly different shapes and sizes in, and what comes out is a much more homogeneous whole. All the care, work, and people represented in those wee little beans—this is where it all starts coming together for the final transformation into powerful beverage.
Let's share that moment with each other. Let’s send each other coffee. Let’s send each other coffee produced by women!
How does it work?
When signing up, you commit to purchasing a bag of coffee produced by women for someone else! This is a gift exchange designed to celebrate generosity & community.
When the sign-up deadline ends, you will receive a message with the name and address of another participant.
Then, you’ll have a week to use any method you prefer to send that person a bag of coffee!
We do ask that you send us tracking when confirming your purchase—that way we can support your gift exchange pal if they’re wondering where their gift is. The shipping carriers are usually riding the struggle bus this time of year, so we have to cross our fingers and plan for some layers of accountability just in case.
In turn, you will receive your own little care package of coffee in the mail from someone else.
Drink it however you enjoy your coffee, and as you sip, say a silent thank-you to the women who made that coffee happen!
Some tips:
You don’t have to commit to international shipping if you don’t want to! Just check that box when you’re filling out the survey below.
If you DO want to commit to international shipping, don’t forget to check online if the roaster you want to support ships internationally!
Things take time to ship, especially if they’re shipped with care from across the globe. Be patient! If you really are worried your La Molienda gift is lost in the mail, feel free to reach out (we will be asking all gifters to send tracking to us if possible).
If you’re purchasing from a roasting company’s online web shop, find a way to denote “La Molienda” if there’s a gift note option. That way the recipient knows where it came from!
All coffees purchased and sent under the name “La Molienda” must be produced by women! It doesn’t have to be sourced or roasted by women, just produced by women in the country where the coffee was grown.
You don’t have to be a womxn to participate, just in case it wasn’t clear! :) It’s open to all!
Don’t know what coffee to buy? Use the guide we created to find coffees produced by women and the roasters who sell them.
If you know of - or work for - a roasting company that is sourcing, roasting, and selling women-produced coffee, send us a message by email or Instagram and we will add it to that searchable database.