About This Coffee
Rosa Maria de la Peña began planting avocadoes and coffee on Finca Los Aguacatones in 2009. With support from the Morales family at Rosmaland, Rosa Maria planted avocadoes at lower altitudes and coffee at 2,000 meters above sea level. In 2010, a fire destroyed almost all the avocado and coffee trees, so Rosa Maria and the Morales decided to transform the farm into a completely coffee-producing farm. Since then, Rosa Maria has been producing Honey, Natural and Fully washed lots at Finca Los Aguacatones. This Natural lot is sweet and fruity with notes of apple and milk chocolate.
Cultivation
Rosa Maria and the Morales had to contend with the poor condition of the soil, which was unfavorable for avocado and coffee production. In order to improve the soil, Rosa Maria planted both chalum and gravileas, two endemic tree species that fix nitrogen.
To improve coffee production on Finca Los Aguacatones, Rosa Maria and the Morales also established a new rainwater capture system. The water tanks store rainwater from the rainy season to slowly irrigate the trees during the dry summer season.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Rosa Maria selectively handpicks ripe, red cherry and processes it on her farm. Once picked, Rosa Maria washes cherry and lays it to dry on raised beds. She rakes cherry frequently to ensure even drying. After 3 to 7 days, Rosa Maria moves cherry to parabolic beds where it will dry for 15 to 18 days more.
Dried cherry is stored on the farm for 30 days before being transported to the dry mill and prepared for export.
Rosma Coffeelands
Rosma Coffeelands was founded by Fredy Morales, son of Alejandro Morales. Alejandro purchased the family farm in 1963 and cultivated coffee there. Fredy took over the farm in 1980 and renamed the farm Rosma after his wife, Rose Mary.
In addition to the coffee he produces on Finca Rosma, Fredy works with his neighbors, friends and family to cultivate and source high-quality coffees that are traceable to individual family farms. Rosma acts not only as an exporter but also as a resource for farmers looking to improve production. They have a seedling nursery so farmers can access high-quality seedlings that are also more Coffee Leaf Rust resistant. They also provide refinancing credit for farmers and health and medical assistance.
Since 2022, sales of Rosma coffees in Europe, Middle East and North Africa have supported Coffee Kinder, an on-farm childcare center for the children of farm workers. At Coffe Kinder, children can play and learn safely during the harvest while their parents work. This reduces child labor and makes it possible for both parents to work, increasing incomes for laboring families and increasing the labor force for the harvest.
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.