Women-owned coffee farms of Guatemala
Recently the Cafenated team took a trip to the coffee farms of Guatemala. We visited women who cultivate, tend, and harvest the beautiful coffee cherries we roast and sell to you. It was fascinating and learned first-hand knowledge of how and where the coffee trees are planted and the way they are protected from the adverse effect of wind and other climate changes. Our trip was involved a three-hour drive from Guatemala City to the mountainous regions in a 4x4 truck on unpaved, rocky, and very rough roads. Once there, we saw amazing scenery - beautiful volcanic mountains, lush forests, and deep blue lakes (check out the photos); we lucked out with pleasant weather, during the rainy season the roads are not passable. We reached elevations of 1500 to 1800 meters which give the Guatemalan coffee the special gentle fruity taste and unique flavors. We discovered that to provide shade and supplemental farming income, avocado trees are planted next to the coffee trees. We tasted delicious passion fruit grown wild in the area. And let me tell you, coffee farming is an incredibly tough job! The entire process of making sure the coffee trees stay healthy, picking the coffee cherries, drying them, and shipping them to the market - it’s VERY hard work for very little money.
The ladies who care and work the farms were absolutely wonderful. They hosted us to delicious freshly caught fish from the lake and gave us tours the farm. They educated us on all the steps required to pump the water to the trees, fend off coffee tree diseases, picking the cherries, washing it, and drying (drying is a very sophisticated process!). And finally shipping the green coffee to the market for export. We were humbled by their hospitality and extremely proud to have the opportunity to share their harvest with you.
