About This Coffee
Hector Ovalle cultivates coffee on his farm, Finca El Oregano, in El Oregano, Huehuetenango. The farm sits at 1,800 meters above sea level. The high altitude provides the ideal conditions for cultivating specialty coffee. The warm days and cool nights help concentrate sugars for sweet, dense cherry, and the cooler weather means that there are far fewer pests and diseases to deal with.
Cultivation
In addition to the Caturra in this lot, Hector also cultivates Catuai, Bourbon, Pink Bourbon, SL28, Geisha, Java and Villa Sarchi varieties on his farm.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Hector selectively handpicks ripe, red cherry and processes it on his farm. He lays cherry on raised drying beds to sundry. Hector rakes drying parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 25 days for cherry to dry.
About Huehuetenango
Huehuetenango is well-known for its high altitude and consistent weather patterns. The region lies at a nexus of hot air sweeping eastwards from the Plains of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, Mexico and cool air rushing down from the Cuchumantanes Mountains. The meeting of this hot and cold air creates a microclimate that keeps frost in check and enables coffee cultivation at higher altitudes. Coffee production at 2,000 meters above sea level here is common. These conditions are perfect for producing the sparkling acidity and distinctive fruit flavors of the region.
Coffee in Guatemala
Guatemala boasts a variety of growing regions and conditions that produce spectacular coffees. Today, the country is revered as a producer of some of the most flavorful and nuanced cups worldwide. We are proud to work with several exceptional in-country partners to bring these coffees to market.
The Guatemalan coffee industry experienced a major setback with the 2010 appearance of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Latin America. The epidemic peaked in severity in 2012, and though CLR continues to affect some farms, Guatemala continues to produce high-quality, record-breaking coffees. In 2017, new and varied processing methods pushed prices at the Guatemalan Cup of Excellence contest to record highs.
The quality of coffee being produced in Guatemala is increasing, overall, due to the diversity of the industry’s producers. There are more and more small holder farmers producing exceptional coffee at high altitudes. Cooperatives are becoming more appealing to so many smallholders because they often offer farmers financing and other support for improving their farming and processing and are frequently able to offer higher prices for cherry than middlemen. Many cooperatives have initiated quality improvement training for farmer members and are becoming more adept at helping members market their coffee as specialty.