Cover: Blanca Leticia Chavac, coffee picker Finca EI Pintado, sacatepequez, La Antigua Guatemala

A JOURNEY TO MEET THE GROWERS

o Agapito

EI Consuelo p.3

6 Bringing Out the Best Buenos Aires

p.5

g Renewal in Chajul Asociaciiin Chajulense p.9

o Living in the Clouds Las Nubes

p.11

o Soaring in Retalhuleu EI Palrocinio

p.13

(1) Where Everyone Matters Los Andes

p.17

o Something New in Antigua Bella Vista

p.21

9 Cultivating Hope in Nueve Aguas NueveAguas

p.23

o Roots Acatenango p.27

® There is Life

Santo Tomas EI Perdido p.29

m On a New Path Cooperativa Nuevo Sendero p.33

@ A Cup of Perfection Ellnjerto

p.35

N

SAN "'ll""IXTATAN OBARIUM

.. Coffee Growing Area
__ River
~ Lake
c::::::J 4-Lane Highway
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dCA-lib Central American Highway
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CA·' National Road
W. Port
• Town 01 1 Source: Anacafl!

EXCEPTIONAL COFFEE

To produce exceptional coffee you have to start with remarkable people

In this handbook, we would like to introduce you to some of them. These are just a few of the more than 90,000 Guatemalan producers who each year dedicate their lives to cultivating this noble crop. They come from vastly different regions with climates and geography so varied it is difficult to believe they are part of just one country. Some of these growers were born into the crop, carried on their mother's back from birth for a day of picking, while others came to coffee later after searching for their true calling. One thing is certain, however, those who grow coffee love it. To them, coffee is a way to make a living but more importantly it is a way of life.

We are certain you will find their commitment, social consciousness, and love for the environment admirable. But it will be their ability to consistently create a quality product in the face of countless challenges that will give you a whole new respect for what it takes to make great coffee.

Christian Rasch Chairman Anacate

102

AGAPITO

In a land of jagged tooth-like mountains that rise more than 10,000 feet into the air

....

A contagious smile from Agapito Orozco

~

Above the shade trees, Agapito and his son Ovidio contemplate their future, 1,600 seedlings of Arabica coffee

Agapito Orozco grows coffee as his father and grandfather did. Covered in lush vegetation, his land is barely visible from the other side of the river, "like a hidden pearl," he says. Getting there is also a challenge; located as it is on the slopes of one of the vertical canyons of this region of San Marcos.

He calls his land EI Consuelo, which means solace, and here he grows tree-sized Arabigos and Bourbons that dwarf his diminutive frame. Elegant and proud, with a well-kept mustache and a wide grin, his love for the crop is contagious, and so is his determination. Undoubtedly, cultivating coffee on these unimaginable slopes must be in his genes for he swiftly strides up the mountains as if he were a boy of ten instead of a seventy-five-year-old grandfather. His secret? "Exercise and coffee."

Since the beginning, Agapito worked this land alongside his father. Then in 1978, he bought another parcel, bringing his total area to approximately 10 hectares. Along with the land came a section of native forest with oak, cypress, and pine trees as well as a rundown mill. "I realized that we needed to improve quality and milling was the only way," he says. Agapito quickly set out to refurbish the mill, adding fermentation tanks and channeling fresh water from a nearby spring to wash the coffee. His improved quality did not go unnoticed, and in 2002 EI Consuelo came in sixteenth in the Cup of Excellence competition.

Today, Agapito works side-by-side with his son Ovidio. Unlike many other young people from the region who have emigrated to the United States, Ovidio chose to stay and now plays a key role in the farm's success. He gives the coffee "lots of care, like no one else can," his father says. Terraced on the steep slopes facing the western sun lies his grandchildren's inheritance-1,600 seedlings from Arabica beans that will soon be planted beneath the shade of avocado (Persea Americana),jocote (Spondias purpurea), and chalum (Inga spuria) trees. Agapito dreams that one day they will be harvested by the next generation of Orozco's.

~

Thoroughly washing coffee after fermentation at Buenos Aires

~

Taking a sample from the hot dryers, a meticulous Felix blows the parchment off the bean to check for readiness

BRINGING OUT THE BEST

The processing mill at Buenos Aires is a sensory feast

The crisp rustling sounds of coffee being raked across the patios can be heard in the distance. The morning light streams in and heat from the dryer fills the room. Just outside, cool gushing water gently washes the mucilage from a batch of coffee until it is squeaky clean.

Felix Reynoso, the mill manager, has just walked in and is greeting everyone. His face seems too small to hold his gigantic smile. His dark, expressive eyes quickly surveying everything. He has been at Buenos Aires for sixty-nine years, many of those as head of the mill. He knows, perhaps better than anyone, that no two days are ever the same.

Today, since dawn, the coffee in the fermentation tanks has been checked every hour. Felix thrusts a broom stick into the tank, plunging it into the pile of

beans to see if it will hold its shape. "It's ready," he decides. The tank is immediately filled with clean water to wash the coffee. A second later he is at the dryers, taking out a sample of beans to see if they have reached the desired humidity level. He blows the parchment shell off the beans and brings one to his mouth. With one bite he knows it needs more time. Although the temperature has been kept at a constant 500 Celsius (1220 Fahrenheit) all night, achieving the correct level of humidity is a challenge. He tosses in another log to keep the fire going in the dryers.

Despite his age, Felix never hesitates to jump in and take on any task. Working alongside his men, he says he speaks to them "with respect; because respect is worth everything." And in this case, it is also clearly mutual. Everyone here is part of a team committed to bringing the coffee to the highest level of quality. When congratulated on his results, Felix smiles and says, "The person who scores the goal does so because his teammates pass him the ball,"

The speed and accuracy with which Homero Juarez does his job makes it look easy. But this

is no simple task. Homero is in charge of ensuring that Buenos Aires remains broca-free. Broca (Hypothenemus hampei), the pesky little insect that burrows into coffee beans, can have devastating effects on a plantation. Especially

in warmer regions like Retalhuleu where Buenos Aires is located.

Spraying pesticides seems almost archaic compared to the method Homero uses. In his well-equipped workshop turned lab, he reproduces tiny wasps with a big nameCepha/onomia stepandores. These miniature wasps are natural predators of broca and each month, Homero releases six thousand of them into the coffee farm.

~ The morning has flown by and the pickers are starting to bring their baskets in from the field.

Gracefully, they glide in to weigh their coffee and release it into the selection tanks. The women's crimson blouses called huipiles and wraparound skirts, known as cortes, match the bright red beans they have harvested. Most of the pickers here are native Mam from Huehuetenango in northwestern Guatemala.

They have brought their families, chickens, and dogs and settled in for the season to pick coffee.

The crop comes in early here so they will still have time to return north to their lands in time to see their own coffee ripen.

.... The dawning 01 a new day in Acul, one 01 Chajul's collee-growing regions

RENEWAL IN CHAJUL

A visit to the village of Chajul is like going back in time

Smoke rises from sand-colored adobe houses, mules carry loads of firewood and sacks of grain, women wearing vividly colored hand-woven clothing bashfully hide their smiles as they pass by. But here, in this remote corner of the country populated by the lxii, something very modern is also occurring. In the offices of the Asoclaclen Chajulense, Miguel Tzoy Tum is sitting with his laptop computer e-mailing buyers.

"If it hadn't been for coffee, this town would be abandoned," says Arcadio Galindo. "The war razed everything it could and there was no capital." It was during this time in 1988, that the Ascclacten Chajulense was formed to address the social and economic issues in the community, using agriculture as a sustainable model. Initially, twelve groups joined together in the hope of receiving better prices for their coffee by selling directly to buyers. By 1989, the association had successfully exported its first container of coffee. Other communities joined too, planting coffee on the steep clay hills throughout the Ixil triangle and helping to build a dry mill.

Coordinating more than 3,300 members in 57 communities spread over 70 kilometers from the center of town is no easy feat. Members must harvest and wet mill their own coffee before they turn it in to one of the collection centers. This is why it is not unusual to find farmers carrying their depulpers up into the hills in order to mill their coffee right after picking. And it seems that every home has a patio, however small, to sun dry the coffee.

Domingo Medina Zacarias grows coffee on roughly half a hectare of land next to the river in Santa Belina. Domingo produces 37 quintals and was able to lay his patio thanks to a small loan he received from the association. Grouped together, association members produce approximately 28,500 quintals of organically certified coffee which is exported to a dozen buyers in Europe and the United States. Looking to the future Arcadio hopes "to monitor quality from seed to the harvest, improve traceability, and preserve Chajul's culture." Worthy goals that will lead Chajul into the next century without losing its traditions.

....

Board members from the Asociacicin Chajulense on the porch in front of their office

~ Beneath the wooden frame building that houses the offices of the Asoclaclen Chajulense, is another thriving organization. It is tucked away downstairs in a room with low ceilings and bathed in natural light. Here, beautifully clad women adorned with playful pom-poms in their hair spin yarn on rapidly moving spindle wheels. They look up in surprise as their picture is taken, as if completely unaware of the splendor of their complex indigenous dress. This is the Chajul

Women's Association Unidas por la Vida, United for Life (ACMUV), which produces textiles and provides microloans to its ninety-five members.

This was one of the first projects begun by the Asocleclen Chajulense, and it has since grown to become an independent organization. The group has given women from the region the opportunity to earn an additional income while working from home and preserving their ancient textile tradition.

Pure confidence. A young Ixil girl from Chajul

LIVING IN THE CLOUDS

The clouds glide in gently, almost touching the ground beneath them

..

Sonia and Fabio Solis enjoying their garden and each other

~

In his element, Fabio Solis looks out from the steep, coffee-covered slopes of Las Nubes

Sometimes, they stay like a misty visitor over the coffee plants, infusing the soil with the ideal degree of humidity. This farm is rightfully called Las Nubes, the clouds, and is located in the eastern part of Guatemala near the pilgrimage center of Esquipulas. It is a land blessed with a cool mountain climate and reddish-clay soils that yield extraordinary pine-green coffee. This is the land where Fabio Soils came, saw, and cultivated.

His hands tell the story. They are expressive, rough, and unafraid-the hands of someone who knows how to work. "I worked in everything, from building highways, to trucking all over Central America during the 1980s armed conflict," he explains. Twenty years ago he bought the 40 hectares of land that is Las Nubes. Nobody here really grew coffee then, but Fabio planted anyway, watching in amazement as the young plants thrived on the steep slopes. But his work kept him away and so his intrepid wife, Sonia, moved here alone to the hills with no roads or phones, to work the coffee. For five years she worked until Fabio's trucking business failed and he moved here, believing that the only cure for hard luck is hard work.

But hard work is not always recognized. Not until the first Cup of Excellence in 2001 did the Soils find the financial incentive to continue producing. A record score of ninety-seven earned Fabio first prize and allowed him to sell his coffee at a premium.

These days Fabio works the field while Sonia keeps an eye out for quality; "because I'm more patient," she explains. Her main tasks are supervising the mill and making sure Fabio doesn't go out into the damp air without a sweater.

Fabio's coffee is of the highest quality, but how much he produces is truly staggering. With yields double the national average, Fabio's coffee plants have to be propped up with sticks. Such results have inspired his neighbors to plant. Where once was scattered corn and cattle, there are now coffee trees planted so neatly it looks like an exercise in pointillism. It is here, on this tranquil land stretching out all the way to Honduras, that Fabio has come to claim a wellearned rest after many years on the road.

SOARING IN RETALHULEU

III found myself with the song of the birds"

Paulino Chuvac stands beneath the giant conacaste tree (Enter%bium cyc/ocarpum) at EI Patrocinio Reserve. It is early dawn and the towering silhouettes of the Santiago, San Pedro, and Fuego volcanoes are just beginning to emerge from the darkness. There is silence and anticipation. Paulino knows this intoxicating feeling well. The sun is about to rise and with it, in perfect unison, a resounding choir of birds. A second later it begins, first with the guttural sounds of the Black Headed Saltator (Sa/tator atriceps) and the schoolgirl-squeal of a RedLored parrot (Amazona a. autumnalis). Not to be outdone, three White-Bellied Chachalacas (Ortalis /eucogastra) burst into a raucous chorus. There is silence though among the group of Redlegged Honeycreepers (Cyanerpes cyaneus carneipes) who have gathered to nibble on plantains.

In the distance, a lone yearning sound may be heard above the rest. "It is a falcon who has lost his mate," Paulino laments. "He has been calling out for a while, for over a month, she might have been killed by a hawk." Sadness comes over his face, "he is a Laughing Falcon, but he has lost his joy."

As the warm breeze rises off the Pacific Ocean and the impish Santiaguito volcano exhales a deep breath of smoke and ash,

~

A man in his Eden. Paulino looking for birds above the lush EI Patrocinio reserve with the Santa Maria and Santiaguito volcanoes in the background

~ pp. 15-16

Stillness broken by a thunderous belch of ash from the Santiaguito volcano

Paulino cheers up. He spots a flame-red Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) perched on a branch above the pouch-like nest of an Altamira Oriole (Icterus gu/aris). It is magical here. With close to two hundred bird species identified, it is not unusual to see over fifty species in just one day. The birds are attracted to the 22 hectares of native forest; the great assortment of Inga-shaded coffee, macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia), and rambutan (Nephellium /appaceum) trees; and by the rushing river which winds its way through the property. Nature here is so pristine it is hard to believe that this is also a hard-working farm.

Following Paulino around provides a glimpse into daily life at EI Patrocinio. As he winds his way through the coffee drying patios, he picks up a bean and gently removes the shell to check the green underneath. "Two more days of sun," he says with authority. After all, Paulino is not only a guide for birdwatchers he also supervises the coffee and macadamia plantations, weaves baskets, and cuts hair. But it is the flora and fauna which have captured his imagination. He knows that the Highland Guan (Pe/enopina nigra) enjoy the cinnamon fruit and that when the Yellow-Throated Euphonias (Eufonia gorjiamarillo) arrive, summer is here. He knows that the owls hang quietly around the macadamia trees and that the shallow caves beside the road are Motmot nests. This wealth of information is "a lesson from everyday life," as he joyfully puts it. What a place to learn.

~ Mario Aguilar, owner of EI Patrocinio, believes that allowing his employees to work in whatever they love to do, helps to build a "common dream." A dream based on the motto "produce and preserve." Under his supervision, coffee and other agroforestry products are cultivated within a healthy environment, creating not only a wonderful space for birds and nature but for people too.

.... James Hazard leads the way, accompanied by his trusted employee Jesiis Lucas ~ Women leaders from Los Andes gather at the farm school with Nelson Ruiz, the teacher

WHERE EVERYONE MATTERS

It is no surprise that the Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), the emblematic bird of freedom, should live in the cloud forests of Los Andes

After all, it is a place that fosters liberty:

"A place," according to worker Victoria Ruiz, "where you can choose your future" and where futures defy stereotypes. At Los Andes, one can find a female cap oral, or field supervisor; a male midwife; a female mill manager; and a male schoolteacher. But more significantly, one finds opportunity and

hope.

This degree of equality would be considered an accomplishment anywhere. But it is more so when considering that Los Andes is recovering from the instability generated by thirty-six years of insurgency. The palpable distrust was still apparent when the mild mannered James Hazard moved here in 1985. "You could say hello to the workers and they would not answer," he recalls.

Undeterred, James went ahead, and with the help of a sociologist. forged a new relationship of trust that in 1995 led to the founding of a savings and loan organization known as the Los Andes Solidarity Association. James contributed the seed money and, more importantly, "a voice without vote, a voice that listens," as he says.

Today, more than eighty members deposit 5 percent of their monthly salaries, creating a readily available fund for microloans. Members have become small entrepreneurs, forming many ventures including the well-stocked grocery store which yields an annual profit.

It is the change in attitude, however, which is the most remarkable. Employees have learned to work together and now see the farm as a place where everyone can benefit. Such is the case with Cata Ruiz. With her petit frame and piercing eyes, she recalls the day when James told her, "Put aside your machete and your basket, you are now going to supervise." She remembers how nervous she was, "what would I do all alone in the fields managing men? But don Jim told me I could do it." With that vote of confidence, Cata set out and now supervises up to two hundred pickers during the harvest.

Another powerful influence at Los Andes has been the school. "Before nobody in the community cared about education, now everyone studies," explains office manager Vilma Ruiz.lmpressively, she is an alumnus of the school and a university graduate. Today, with preschool through sixth grade available to all sixty-five families on the farm, and a high school scheduled to open soon, there will be many more opportunities for the people of Los Andes

to choose their future. 118

~

"Shuuii shuuii, that's the sound they make when they fly," Jesus says. He is referring to the elusive Azure-Rumped Tanager (Tangara cabanisi) whose beauty and rarity make spotting it a welcome surprise. Jesus knows these parts well. Deep within the misty cloud forests of Los Andes he seems one with his environment. melodiously calling out to both tanagers and quetzals with such accuracy that sometimes the birds answer back.

~ Stoic and focused, Marisol Ruiz Socop has the perfect demeanor to manage the coffee mill. It is a job that

requires discipline and intelligence. A mistake at the fermentation tanks or in the dryer, and a year's worth of work can be lost.

She assumes the responsibility gladly, ensuring that the 3,000

quintals of parchment coffee produced each year are of the highest quality. Her dedication has earned

her the respect of her mostly male co-workers, who have learned, as she puts it, that "not only men can work." More importantly for her family however, she has opened up a world for her daughters who now believe they can grow up to be anything.

~

Cata has just returned from the field. Beads of sweat collect on her forehead. She has been busy managing a team of men fertilizing. But her day is not over yet. A minute later her face relaxes, and she smiles as two of her five children come and embrace her. She is now ready for her next job, parenting.

SOMETHING NEW IN ANTIGUA

"I always played in the coffee fields"

Luis Pedro Zelaya, still looks boyish in his midthirties recalls "When my father would go to Bella Vista, I would follow him. When my grandmother Chitia went to Carmona, I

tagged along." But running around coffee farms does not necessarily a farmer make. It is not unusual that after centuries of farming, younger generations choose different, less difficult paths.

Such is the reality in Antigua, where coffee has been cultivated since the 1870s. Here, inclement weather, crop disease, and labor shortages still affect growers much as they did the first coffee pioneers. But today there are additional challenges including urban development, high production costs, and low coffee prices which the new generation of coffee farmers, like Luis Pedro, must also tackle. More than ever, efficiency is becoming a crucial element in preserving Antigua's family farms.

Efficiency in all areas is what Luis Pedro aims for at his farm, Bella Vista, and the other farms he oversees, all located within a bells-ring of the colonial sixteenth century capital. Be it his pruning techniques-done every third row on the third year-or his water-saving mill, Luis Pedro is focused on increasing productivity and effectiveness. Using these methods he has been able to increase production six-fold at La Felicidad, a farm he manages for another family.

For the past six years, Luis Pedro has also focused on improving the quality of the coffee he buys

21 I

from small producers. Twice a year, he conducts training sessions on fertilization, disease control, quality picking, and other subjects. On a clear day in September at Bella Vista, in full view of the Agua volcano, he addresses the more than two hundred producers gathered. "Good practices become good habits," he tells them. The harvest season will begin in a couple months and he motivates them saying, "quality comes from the field, from a coffee plant that has been well cared for, well fed, and well picked by you." Luis Pedro will buy and mill their coffee along with that of 400 other producers, many of whom have as little as a postage-sized plot of land.

"What I really love is matching a coffee with the right buyer," says Luis Pedro. "It is wonderful to have a relationship with everyone who works the coffee. I know the grower, the pickers, those who milled it, the exporter, the importers, and the roasters. During the process, I can get to know what each one wants and needs so I can bring them together." In fact, Luis Pedro has begun milling certain quality coffees separately to meet the unique tastes of individual buyers.

From Bella Vista, Luis Pedro has a 360-degree view of the mountains surrounding Antigua. Pointing to a formerly deforested hill he says, "I just helped someone there plant 10 hectares of coffee, and over there," he adds, "they are growing more, and it's great qualltvl" It is fair to say that Luis Pedro's forefathers may rest assured that the future of Antigua coffee is safe in his hands.

~ "Every third row" Luis Pedro Zelaya proudly explains his pruning technique at his farm Bella Vista

CULTIVATING HOPE IN NUEVE AGUAS

...

Waldemar proudly showing his wet mill ~ Majestic and delicate, the chipe is quite a sight in the humid lorests 01 Coban

Entering Nueve Aguas from the village of Purulha one passes through mist-covered forests filled with exotic chipes (Cyathea spp)

These delicate, ancient tree ferns have long filigree-type leaves and branches that remain coiled like the head of a fiddle until given the impetus to stretch out and grow. They are everywhere in the region of Coban, drawn there by the constant, weightless, trickling rain known as chipichipi. Like chipes, coffee has also thrived here since it was first introduced to the region by German immigrants at the end of the nineteenth century.

"This land is ideally suited for coffee," says Waldemar Schwendener, owner of Nueve Aguas, himself of German and Swiss origin. With his relaxed demeanor and sparkling eyes, Waldemar exudes openness and warmth.

When Waldemar moved to Nueve Aguas in 1984 with his wife Stella, he found generations of workers whose numbers, after a hundred years, had grown well beyond the capacity of the farm to adequately house them. So when a neighboring 40 hectare parcel was put up for sale, he seized the opportunity, purchasing the land and dividing it into equal half hectare lots which he financed for the workers. But he also wanted "to help them feel what I feel; what it is like to be a producer." In his nursery, Waldemar began to cultivate seedlings for his employees.

The potential benefits of this new arrangement became quickly apparent. Many improved their standard of living like Guayo Makin, a field capora/ or supervisor, who now earns a yearly wage from the roughly 10 quintals of coffee he cultivates on his own land every year.

With adequate housing there remained one critical challenge to address-health care. In these remote areas, access to even minimal health care was scarce and even minor ailments could quickly become critical for lack of medical attention. In 1987, Waldemar along with several other coffee farmers and the coffee sector's Foundation for Rural Development (FUNCAFE) established

CAFESANO, to provide education and health services to their workers and their communities. "Here in the clinic at Nueve Aguas, we provide care to over 2.400 people from ten communities," says nurse Clara Calder6n. "Sometimes it's colds, other times women in labor, whatever comes our way we deal with it." The clinic also provides dental care and continual education in basic preventive medicine to community leaders. Today, throughout the region there are dozens of clinics like the one at Nueve Aguas.

There is no doubt that with their dedication and commitment, Waldemar and his family have helped the people of Nueve Aguas to thrive and open up to their full potential, just like the chipe.

~ Hands weave their way in and out of verdant bushes loaded with red berries at Nueve Aguas. It is a delicate job, one which requires precision. Pickers like working here because the low cloud layer keeps the hillside shady and cool.

25\

.... The Perez family resting on their well-stacked harvest. From left to right, Mercedes (Henio's wife) Raul, Neto, Henio and Jose

ROOTS

Neto Perez sits on the porch of the faded wooden house his father built

As he looks out across the shaded coffee fields just below the Acatenango volcano, he spontaneously bursts into song. Esa sera mi casa, cuando me vaya yo-that will be my home when I go-he sings sentimentally. Neto is deeply rooted in this land, as is the entire Perez family whose ancestors settled in the area in 1541.

For seven generations, this warm and welcoming family has overcome political unrest, severe weather, untimely deaths, and fluctuating coffee prices to remain in the business. The results of this dedication can be seen today. Nestled beneath the volcanic sisters of Fuego and Acatenango, the valley is like a green oasis, cultivated with coffee as far as the eye can see. With more than five thousand small producers, coffee here is a family affair. "We learned this craft from our fathers and now we strive to do the best we can for the next generation," says Neto.

....

Beneath a brilliant sun, on a flat ridge with views of the Atltlan, Acatenango, and Fuego volcanoes, the coffee is being dried in impeccably straight rows. "My father chose this spot," says Neto's nephew Henio. "He studied the land and found that here the sun was most intense, ideal for drying." The coffee is brought here every afternoon from the mill, turning a lovely golden hay color as it dries. What the affable Henio has been taught, he passes on to his sons, Raul and Jose, who are quickly learning about quality in the field and mill. But the most valuable lesson Neto and Henio teach their children is about the importance of family.

It has been in times of great difficulty, though, that the extended family has contributed the most. "When my father died, I was only thirteen," Neto recalls, "so Henio's father helped run the farm

with my mother until we were old enough." On other occasions, it has been Neto who has sacrificed. "When one of my nephews wanted to sell La Torre, it was not a good time for me to buy it, but I found a way, my roots were there," he says. Commitment like this has allowed the family to remain in coffee after so many years. Their dedication extends to their community as well, where for generations they have generously helped building roads, bringing electricity, and dedicating time to local causes including the five-year effort to have Acatenango recognized as a specialtycoffee producing region .

This distinction, granted on November 2006, has helped small producers receive higher premiums for their harvests and encouraged the next generation to continue cultivating. As Neto proudly says when he sees his six-year-old grandson playing in the coffee fields, "a new grower is born." Now that's something to sing about.

THERE IS LIFE

.r 4ft ..

1,it3

"How's the coffee going, how are the bees?"

Charlie Torrebiarte eagerly makes his daily rounds through the fields of Santo Tomas. Hay vida, patr6n, hay vida-there is life, boss, there is life-say the workers.

It is the perfect answer for Charlie who is passionate about one thing-life. He does not merely live it he creates it; infusing its energy into everything he does from cultivating coffee, to producing milk and honey, to educating his employees, and raising his children. Here the word "waste" does not exist. "We try to make the best use of all the resources we have," says Charlie. "That is why our chalum (Inga micheliana) trees not only shade our coffee, but also provide protein-rich leaves to our dairy cows. The cows in turn produce manure to create methane and to feed the worms, which create the fertilizer for coffee trees and so on." It is an endless circle that spirals steadily towards sustainability.

Things, however, were not always this way. Here, on the southern slope of the Atltlan volcano, the 36-year armed insurgency was brutal and many farmers were forced to abandon or sell their land. Faced with such instability, it hardly seemed the appropriate time or place for an investment. But in 1996, as the conflict was coming to an end, Charlie visited Santo Tomas and immediately fell in love with it. With the support of his family and a leading exporter, he began to cultivate coffee, planting wherever he could on over 404 hectares.

Just as things seemed to be going in the right direction, nature put his dedication to the test. Almost immediately, the deadly bacteria Xyllela fastidiosa struck, infecting over 40 percent of the farm. "Everything we had planted died," he recalls. Not easily defeated, Charlie consulted experts on the disease, bringing agronomists from Anacate and as far away as Brazil and Hawaii to give him advice. "Today," he beams, "we have learned to control this disease." Control, he emphasizes, "because you cannot eradicate it." His prevention methods begin at the nursery, ensuring that the insects that transmit the disease are kept away. Once in the field, plants are constantly monitored and the infected ones sprayed with cooper sulfate. Pruning and extraction is used on a selective basis.

Dealing with disease has taught Charlie to be prepared every year with a ready supply of seedlings to replace infected plants. Today,

. .

....

On the steps of his home at Santo Tomas, a beaming Charlie accompanied by his wife Silvia and three sons

his nursery is a carefully tended, gently rolling sea of green where he grows the equivalent of 5 percent of his total cultivated area in individual, cone shaped tubes called tubetes. Cultivating seedlings this way has many advantages: the plants are easier to care for, they cost one third less to produce than using traditional plastic

bags, and without the bags there is less contamination. Last year, one million coffee seedlings were planted at Santo Tomas.

Productivity is not just found at the nursery, it is found throughout the farm. Perhaps the best example is how the coffee fields are managed. Each section is assigned to one person who is allowed to care for the parcel as he sees fit. "Like an owner;" explains one of the parcel workers Gilberto Mateo. "I am in charge of my lot and I take care of the whole process from planting to removing weeds. I can monitor everything because I am always here. I really like this system because everyone wins: me, my family, and the farm." Better care has resulted in higher yields and lower costs.

Another fascinating way that Charlie has improved yields is with the help of bees. Like all of Charlie's projects, the idea for the bees did not come by chance, but through meticulous observation. His experiences have confirmed that although coffee trees are self-pollinating, bees can improve bean size increasing the weight by up to 15 percent. The bees, cloistered in 1,700 hives throughout the farm, are not just great pollinators they also produce multifloral honey from coffee, chalum (lnga micheliana), and cacao flowers.

~

Millions of coffee seedlings, lovingly tended by Florentin, extend like a sea of green at Santo Tomas. They have been planted in a rich soil composed of black earth, sand, worm castings, and coconut shells. Florentin will care for them, watering daily and fertilizing weekly until ready to plant.

.... A welcome shade protects Isauro Solares from the blazing midday sun at the Bellin coffee farm, an important producer for the Nuevo Sendero Cooperative

ONANEWPATH

The town of Chapas, Santa Rosa lies in a wide valley surrounded by coffee fields that extend to the main street

Here, among the neatly lined houses draped in magenta bougainvillea, everyone knows each other and there is a deep sense of community. For twenty-three years, the Cooperativa Nuevo Sendero has been based here, starting out as a savings and loan association and for the past six years functioning as a coffee cooperative.

This sun-soaked region was dedicated to growing potatoes until coffee farming began in earnest about thirty years ago. The change has not only made an economic contribution to the community, but an environmental one as well. Trees are now valued as shade for coffee and protecting the cypress and pine forests on the surrounding mountains is a priority for the group. Working with 165 producers of all sizes, the Cooperativa Nuevo Sendero mills over 40,000 quintals of coffee each year and is currently certified by UTZ, Starbucks, C.A.F.E. Practices and is in the process of securing Rainforest Alliance and Nespresso certifications. Since its founding, Nuevo Sendero has also been

~ Early afternoon in Belen.

Cherries have been picked and weighed and are ready to begin their journey to the Nuevo Sendero mill and from there to the world.

part of FEDECOCAGUA, a Guatemalan federation of 150 coffee cooperatives, through which it sells its coffee as Fair Trade.

Being a co-op with a strong background in finance has its benefits. "We are able to give members an advance to pay for their harvest, interest-free credits for fertilizer, and competitive interest rates on loans," says Isauro Solares, the enthusiastic young president of marketing. "But what you can really see," he adds, pointing to a verdant section of coffee trees, "are the results from the training sessions we offer four times a year on growing practices."

~ Up in the mountains above Chapas, with a spectacular 360- degree view of blue-hued mountains, Eymardo L6pez Donis cultivates coffee on the steep, rocky slopes of his family's land, known as La Pedrera. Every weekday, though, he also zips down on his motorcycle to give morning classes at the local school.

"For years, I was the only teacher for over forty children, but now I am lucky there's another teacher to help me," he says.

Education is a priority for Eymardo. When it's time to enroll students for the new school year, he goes up to the coffee fields himself, saving parents a lengthy trip into town and ensuring that all children have the chance to get an education.

Coffee is always on Isauro's mind. "I was born in the cafeta/es, or coffee fields," he explains. But after growing up picking coffee on his father's farm, he left. And like so many in this region, he traded the shaded fields of Chapas for a construction job in the hot, urban streets of the southern United States. After being away for four years, he returned and earned a degree in agronomy. Today, Isauro is clearly focused on taking his muchloved region to higher levels of quality.

A

CUP OF PERFECTION

The mountains drop dramatically in Huehuetenango, creating narrow waist-thin valleys before rising abruptly again towards the sky

Here, the coffee farm EI Injerto is located on the border with Mexico and on the frontier of coffee production. With perpendicular mountains rising 9,000 feet (2,740 meters) into the air, coffee here is planted at seemingly impossible altitudes. Reaching new heights is exactly what Arturo Aguirre, owner of EI Injerto, likes best. With a confident demeanor, Arturo meticulously tackles every problem, from the most intricate and complex to the mundane, constantly testing new ideas.

Arturo was only 15 when he took over his family's century-old farm, undertaking the grueling eight-day mule ride in from the town of Huehuetenango. In those days, the farm produced only 300 quintals and its remote location made everything difficult. Arturo persevered, expanding the farm and betting on qualitya bet that has since paid off. EI Injerto has been a winner of the Cup of Excellence seven times, recently reaching a record price of $80.20 per pound.

What's his secret? He shares it gladly, "to have discipline in the search for quality." Arturo's quest began in the 1970s when he started to separate the farm by varietals: elegant Bourbons, fruity Pacamara, and large-bean Maragogype. Separately growing and processing each varietal allowed him to understand plant behavior and learn about each one's cup characteristics. "We believe in producing quality not just quantity," says Arturo. Today, the terraced curves of Ellnjerto are planted with different varietals neatly separated by izote trees beneath 470 hectares of verdant cloud forest.

It is in the mill, however, where Arturo's attention to detail is most crucial. More than 1,200 pickers turn in their coffee personally to the mill each day. If the beans have the desired ripeness, they are transported to the depulpers whose precisely measured 13- millimeter holes ensure that no unwanted pulp gets by. Then it's off to the fermentation tanks. Arturo knows there is no hurrying nature, so he lets the coffee spend the time necessary in the tanks to reach el punto, or ready-point. After which, he submerges all the coffee in pure spring water for 24 to 36 hours to "seal in the attributes of aroma and flavor." Finally, the coffee is taken to the patios and the dryers. Each element in the milling process

Checking for quality one sip at a time in Ellnjerto's cupping room

has been modified by Arturo to improve its function. There are the larger than normal drains, the height of the tanks, and the exact number of centimeters that the pile of coffee should not exceed-details that make all the difference. Through its entire journey in the mill, the coffee lot is accompanied by a color tag which records all of its

information from picking to drying.

"What matters most is our people," says Arturo, "that is why we make an investment in preparing them." Part of that preparation has been to teach his managers to cup coffee. "Before, when don Arturo would say 'please don't let any green or unripe beans in, or careful with the overripe ones' we didn't really understand," says German Cardona Garda, one of Ellnjerto's key managers. "Now we can taste the defect and realize how one bean can ruin the coffee." At EI Injerto's well-equipped cupping lab, each lot is sampled and evaluated. It is gratifying for Arturo to hear his managers say, "We have learned to cup coffee; the Bourbon has a fine acidity, the Pacamara tastes like sweet melon and chocolate."

CULTIVATING Q!)ALITY

FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Know-how, passion, attention to detail. These are the intangible human elements that transform something from mass produced to one of a kind, from ordinary to extraordinary, and that in coffee make all the difference.

Guatemala's coffee has this artisanal quality. It is a craft, forged from a lifelong experience with the land, the climate, and the processing. A lesson in quality that has been passed down from parent to child for generations and has endured to this day.

But producing coffee in this delicate way-under shade, handpicked, slowly fermented, and washed-takes time and many hands, and is therefore costly. For Guatemala's coffee growers the challenge today is to remain competitive while preserving these rich traditions for generations to come.

5" Calle 0-50, Zona 14 Guatemala City 01014 Guatemala, Central America Telephone (+502) 2366-4583 Fax (+502) 2366-5776

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Guatemalan Coffees Portraits of Quality produced by:

Guatemalan National Coffee Association

Coordinator:

William H. Hempstead