This month, we’re proud to debut our first Season Select coffee since we’ve opened our new roastery. It’s a fantastic crop from Javier Cabrera in Guatemala, a country rich in diverse culture, history, and geography. It is also one of the best places in the world to grow and enjoy coffee.
The Growing Conditions
Guatemala has 37 volcanoes, some of which are still active. These volcanoes create ideal conditions for coffee cultivation, such as high altitudes, fertile soils, and microclimates. The volcanic ash enriches the soil with minerals and nutrients, giving the coffee distinct flavor characteristics.
Guatemala has eight coffee regions, one of which is Atitlan, where we sourced our coffee from farmer Javier Cabrera. Atitlan is located near Lake Atitlan, a stunning body of water surrounded by volcanoes and mountains. The lake influences the climate and the rainfall patterns, creating a humid and temperate environment for coffee.
History: The Struggle for Land and Democracy
Guatemala’s history is marked by colonialism, dictatorship, and civil war. These events have shaped the country’s social and economic development, as well as its coffee industry.
Coffee was introduced to Guatemala in the late 1700s by Jesuit priests, but it was not until the 1860s that it became a major export crop. The government encouraged coffee production by giving land grants and tax incentives to farmers. However, most of the land was owned by a few wealthy families and foreign companies, such as the United Fruit Company (UFC), which also controlled the banana trade.
The UFC acquired large tracts of land for coffee and bananas, often displacing indigenous communities and workers. In 1952, President Jacobo Arbenz enacted a land reform law that aimed to redistribute unused land to peasants and cooperatives. This angered the UFC, which lobbied the US government to intervene. In 1954, the US-backed a coup that overthrew Arbenz and installed a military dictatorship that lasted until 1996.
The coup triggered a civil war that lasted for 36 years and claimed over 200,000 lives. The war also affected the coffee sector, as many farms were abandoned or destroyed by violence. Some farmers, had to flee their lands when they were occupied by guerrilla forces.
The Spirit of Cooperation and Innovation
Despite the challenges and hardships, Guatemala’s coffee farmers have shown resilience and solidarity. They have formed cooperatives and associations to support each other and improve their quality and productivity. They’re also quite active within AnaCafe, the national coffee association that provides research, training, financing, and marketing services to its members.
Javier Cabrera is one of the farmers who has benefited from AnaCafe’s training programs. He owns a fourth-generation farm that he inherited from his grandfather, but it was too dangerous to access for years because of guerilla forces. When he was able to return, he had a lot to learn about producing quality coffee and took classes offered by AnaCafe and the Alliance for Coffee Excellence. Javier is passionate about coffee and always striving to improve his farming practices. He makes his own fertilizer from compost, he experiments with different fermentation and drying methods, and he is always cupping (coffee speak for tasting) his coffee to improve these methods.
Javier told me that as he received so much help from others in the coffee community, he does his best to pass on his knowledge. In particular, he’s made strides to improve the reputation of coffee in the Atitlan region, by helping other farmers and through efforts to establish a DOC. If you’ve not tried coffee from Atitlan, you’re in for a treat. Javier’s coffee has a sweet and smooth flavor with notes of butterscotch, orange, apricot, and pear. We are proud to feature his coffee in our menu and share his story with you.
Meet Javier Cabrera on September 10th
If you want to learn more about Javier Cabrera and his coffee, we have some exciting news for you. We will be hosting a live Q&A session with him on September 10th at 10 am EST. You will have the opportunity to ask him questions about his farm, his process, his challenges, and his dreams. You will also get a chance to win some of his amazing coffee beans.
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet one of our favorite farmers and discover more about Guatemala’s coffee culture. We hope to see you there!
