Los Suspiros Huehuetenango Yellow Honey

The farm is named Los Suspiros, which means “the sighs” in Spanish, because of the fresh breezes of air you can experience whenever you pause to appreciate one of the incredible view.

Juan Palacios established Finca Los Suspiros in the early 1930s. He planted coffee trees and also grew corn and tobacco. In those years, Don Juan loaded his coffee on mules and traveled a full 5 days on horseback to bring his harvest to Huehuetenango City. Juan bequeathed his farm to his only son, Amadeo. Under Amadeo, the farm shifted focus to solely coffee production. In 1997, Amadeo gave 70 hectares to his grandson, the current owner, Axel Palacios.

Now the 4^th-generation of Palacios to own and operate Finca Los Suspiros, Axel is dedicated to specialty coffee production. Axel joined his childhood friends, Fredy and Alejandro Morales, as they expanded their family farm, Finca Rosma, into a specialty exporter.  Today, Axel and the Morales brothers operate Finca Los Suspiros as part of their joint venture, the specialty coffee exporter, Rosma Coffeelands. The Rosma team are frequent Cup of Excellence winners and their commitment to specialty coffee production is evident in each lot. 

Cherry is selectively handpicked and then sorted to ensure only ripe, red cherry is pulped on the drum pulper. Parchment and remaining mucilage is transferred to raised beds. Parchment and mucilage dry in the sun for 5 to 7 days. As parchment reaches the ideal moisture content level of 11% near the end of the drying process, the beds are shaded for the final 2 days. in the shade, parchment dries more slowly, ensuring a more even and stable moisture level.

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. 

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.