Finca La Bolsa

Close to the most western border with Mexico and the Pan-American Highway, La Libertad has the high altitude, plentiful rainfall, lush shade and moderate temperatures needed to grow exceptional coffee. Combine the best natural conditions with Caturra and the noble Bourbon variety, exacting skill in picking and processing coffee, and we have one of our favourite coffees from Guatemala. María Elena Vides de Ovalle’s father - Dr. Jorge Vides - started to grow coffee at La Bolsa in 1958 and was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Coffee Grower award from ANACAFE (the Guatemalan national coffee association) in 1984, just as the world was beginning to acknowledge the potential of great specialty coffee. María Elena’s son Renardo Ovalle and farm agronomist Juan Jose Ariana, manage La Bolsa and now also take care of four anexos (neighbouring properties) to help the extended family. All of the new plantings are established in mini terraces. La Bolsa and anexos are on steep slopes and susceptible to erosion if water and run-off isn’t well controlled. One of the anexos has been converted to an organic farm, a process which has taken five years. Finca La Bolsa also offers several community initiatives, including the La Bolsa school, a day-care used by the coffee pickers who need to leave their children throughout the day during harvesting, a coffee school grant for students of La Bolsa who want to continue their studies and the Qawale programme, which assists the 400 small-holding farmers around La Bolsa with coffee growing information and good practices.