Location: Palencia, Guatemala
Altitude: 420 -6200 feet
Varieties: Bourbon, Caturra, Maracaturra, Catuai, Pacamara
Harvest: December - April
Process: Wet mill, sundried in patios

Rio Colorado is located in the Municipality of Palencia, 62 kilometers from the capital city of Guatemala. Originally, the farm was owned by the Colom brothers, who inherited the farm from their father in 1920. Mr. José Colom took possession of the farm in 1950 when he returned from California after completing his studies in agriculture. He was a true pioneer of coffee in Palencia, promoting the crop within his neighbors by providing free seedlings so coffee could become the main crop in Palencia.

Today, Río Colorado is a family business run by Ana Beatriz Colom, her husband and their two grown children with special attention to high quality coffees, producing their own seedlings to ensure quality and manage renovations. The state has its own traditional wet mill, where the coffee is the pulped and washed daily. The pulp is then used to produce organic fertilizer for the coffee plantation. Residual waters are treated effectively in natural tanks to prevent river contamination.

There are three beautiful rivers that border the farm: Colorado (Where the state name comes from), Danta and San Miguel, and there are also seven artificial ponds. In addition, there is a natural forest reserve of 533 hectares, mainly with pine, cypress and oak varieties. Rio Colorado is the first farm in the municipality of Palencia to use earthworm compost as an organic fertilizer, for which they have red worm beds where they also use recycled coffee waste.

Technical Information

Location: Alotenango, Sacatepéquez Guatemala
Varieties: Bourbon, Canturra, Sarchimor, Marsellesa
Altitude: 1174 to 1900 masl
Producers in the Association: 175

Association Background:
In 1999 after sys producers joined together to purchase fertilizer, the idea came about to collectively trade their coffee. During the first year, 27 producers joined the efforts and on 2002 they formatted the association in order to process their products, hence reaping more benefits and a better price, always looking to sell their coffee the best way possible, keeping consistency in their coffee, picking at the ripest and sundrying in patios. After several years, while pursuing their quest to find the best web mill facilities, Don Juan Cojolón heard about UNEX and the Santa Bárbara wet mill, so the association began processing and selling the association’s coffee since 2003.

Main Objectives: Promote coffee production within the community, focused on training and the participation in activities to help develop good agricultural practices, respecting the natural resources and improving production, providing an opportunity to compete with their quality to improve the financial stability of the small producer and their family livelihood.

Main activities”
• Active participation in training process and certifications
• Coordinate donations when received
• Logistics and collection of wet cherries
• Coffee sales of cherries collected from the members
• Coffee quality control

Varieties: catimor, caturra, pache rojo, catuai, bourbon
Altitude: 1200 a 1650 msnm
Location: La Democracia, Colotenango, La Libertad, San Pedro Necta
Producers in the Association: 250
Projects: 2020 COFFEE KIDS
Other certifications: Organic and Fairtrade
Volume per year: 3,250 bags

COMAL was formed in 2006, joined by three associations in the area, one being a women producer association, ASOMAMD. Others include ADIM and ASDITOJ.

Main Objetive: Promote marketing and sales of their coffee in an efficient and organized manner with an ecological an sustainable focus, promoting the participation of men and women to elevate their member’s livelihoods through various trainings int their area and thus strengthening their technical and productive capacities.

Main Activities: Collection and commercialization of coffee. Technical assistance for coffee production, certifications, roasting and packaging services, organic products for sale, forest nursery projects, promotion of diversification products.

Mission: Look for mechanisms to establish alliances to market their coffee, certify their production, find technical assistance, and purchase roasting equipment.

The association also promotes the participation of younger generation in the coffee process as well as empowering women through their participation in the Board of Directors.

Location: El Tumbador, San Marcos, Guatemala
Coffees Produced: Strictly Hand Bean, Maragogype
Altitude: 5000 ft.
Process: Traditional Washed
Production: 1250 bags
Harvest: November to March/April

Australia has been a coffee farm since 1897! It is a family-run estate in the hands of Luz de MacKenney, who does a grand job preserving the natural environment. The farm working with agricultural practices designed to minimize environmental impact.

Mrs. MacKenney is also a director of Funcafé, the National Coffee Association’s (ANACAFE), the institutionalized social arm of the Guatemalan coffee sector.

The farm is currently undergoing the process to become Rainforest Certified.