Guatemala Nueva Granada

About The Farm:

Nueva Granada is a 675 hectare coffee farm nestled between the two tallest volcanoes in Guatemala: Tajumundo and Tacana. The farm is owned by the Nottebohm family, now in their third generation after buying the farm in 1984. The history prior to that involved importing and sourcing the coffee, but never owning a farm. Part of a family of companies, they also grow sugar and macadamia nuts, as well as own an export company to ship the coffee out of the country.

Dieter and Holly are the current owners. Holly is a keen supporter of the local arts and runs programs to make sure the local heritage is not lost. There is a primary and secondary school provided, housing, a health clinic, church, and football pitch for the working community. Dieter also sponsors scholarships for 50 children from neighbouring villages to attend the school system.

32 families live on the farm, so the infrastructure is important for them. However, it is opened up for the local communities nearby, as well as for the seasonal workers that come in during harvest. Both wet and dry milling are carried out on the farm and allow for full quality control, before being shipped directly to the port.

An early adopter of Rainforest Alliance standards, they were amongst the first in Central America to be certified back in 2001. In 2003 their coffee was used to introduce Rainforest Alliance as a certification programme to the UK. Although no longer RFA certified (The current amount of admin and regulation counter to the traditional uses has seen the farm take a step back from certification this year), they remain committed to the environment with around 10% of the farm dedicated to wild forest.

Of the 675 hectares, over 60 of them are reserved for wild woods where animals such as pumas and deer are able to roam through onto neighbouring farms. Almost all of the farm is covered by Inga trees, these also provide ideal shade and cover for Macadamia trees to grow- which are an additional source of income.

The coffee is milled at the farm, Eco Processers are the preferred method as they are the most water efficient, however natural springs sometimes appear and can be used for processing instead. The spring water is also harvested to provide a clean source of drinking water to nearby villages.

The Washed Process Explained:

The most popular way of processing coffee. The fruit flesh is mechanically removed with a machine known as a depulper and the beans are then put into a water tank to ferment. The amount of time it takes to ferment depends on climate factors such as altitude and temperature, in hotter regions fermentation will be quicker and vice versa. The process typically takes between 24 – 72 hours. Once complete, the coffee beans are then dried on patios or raised beds.
Flavour Profile: Light body, retains the citrus and floral flavours.