Maria Mateo / Washed / Guatemala / 250g

Origin: Guatemala
Producer: Maria Mateo
Farm: T’zun Witz
Town: Concepción Huista
Region: Huehuetenango         
Varieties: Caturra, Bourbon
Process: Washed
Altitude: 1760-1835 m.a.s.l.
Flavour Profile: Dark chocolate, Orange & Pecan 

Maria is a second generation coffee farmer from a Popti Mayan community in Concepcion Huista. After some years of working as a laborer, she was excited to receive this land from her parents 15 years ago as an inheritance. For Maria, caring for the environment and monitoring coffee quality are the two keys to success at her farm. From a manual pulping machine to carefully drying in the sun for 6 days, Maria keeps a careful eye on her production - a skill she developed through training with the El Sendero cooperative that operates in the region.

El Sendero cooperative provides coffee producers support and information for farmers around Concepcion Huista. The cooperative was formed in 2016 and it has 196 coffee producing members, of which 62 are women and 134 are men. The cooperative focuses on gender equality among coffee producers and especially supports young coffee producers. She will continue working with the cooperative to improve her coffee quality.

“My years working in the field and the farm have shown the importance of working in a culturally sensitive way and a way that cares for the environment. The work we do in the wet mill helps the family assure good quality coffee.”