El Anonal | Guatemala

Farmer Info

“Orlando is a third generation coffee farmer, and he works with wife and his son Gesler, who helps with the processing of the coffee, to carry on the family’s legacy of growing excellent coffees in La Libertad. It was 1985 when his grandfather Javier started to plant coffee on a small plot, and over the years Orlando’s father and grandfather made improvements in their wet mill and purchased additional small parcels of land. The coffee leaf rust epidemic decimated this plot about a decade ago, and Orlando used this setback to diversify the varieties of coffee plants growing on the farm. He keeps an assortment of varieties that are more resistant to rust, some more traditional varieties that are less resistant, and in 2015 he added in some exotic varieties such as Gesha and Pacamara. This passion for experimentation and innovation has guided the family toward success in producing high quality coffees.

Farm Info

Orlando and his family process this coffee at their home which is at a relatively high altitude of 1600 meters. The harvest is carried out manually with cherries at an optimal state of ripeness (18 - 23 degrees Brix). A cleaning and pre-rinsing (pre-rinsing the cherries) is done in piles with water, and then the cherries are transferred to African beds to begin drying. After 3 days, a second separation is made to remove cherries that do not meet the appropriate ripening and coloring standards. The cherries are dried for 22 days, with protection at night to prevent them from becoming rehydrated. After harvesting, they are stored in airtight Ecotact bags and jute sacks to prevent contamination of the coffee.

“Between the years of 1985 and 1995, back when the harvests were much smaller, my father Orlando Sr. personally took charge of updating the harvesting practices. He brought all the coffee from the field to the wet mill in plastic sacks; back then, he didn’t have a vehicle to transport the coffee and there wasn’t even a road to put a vehicle on! Today, they are able to transport both coffee and workers to and from the edge of the farm in a truck.” - Orlando Antulio Martinez Samayoa