About the coffee
Guatemala is celebrated for its top-tier coffee, with over 125,000 families employed in the industry. In 2018, coffee production was honoured as an Intangible Heritage of Guatemala. Among its renowned regions, Huehuetenango stands out for its ideal growing conditions, situated in the country’s western highlands. The city benefits from high elevation and clay loam soil rich in minerals, making it ideal for cultivating coffee.
Temperatures range from 18°C to 35°C and adequate rainfall of 1600mm ensures optimal plant hydration without over-saturation. The Wuj Kape lot consists of two varieties: Caturra and Sarchimor. It is sourced from 18 smallholder farms; each one owned and operated by a female coffee producer with whom the Vides58 team has developed a close relationship.
After harvesting, the cherries are depulped, initiating a 24-hour fermentation process to remove the mucilage. Following this, the coffee is washed before being spread out on drying patios for approximately 12 days. During the day the coffee is frequently moved to facilitate even drying. Finally, the coffee undergoes hulling, grading, classifying and sorting in preparation for export.
The Vides story began back in 1958 when Don Jorge Vides Molina founded Finca La Bolsa as a passion project. Now, the family operates six farms in Huehuetenango and owns a state-of-the-art cupping lab in Guatemala City. The family’s commitment to producing the finest quality coffee has been rewarded with numerous awards, most notably a Cup of Excellence in 2002.
Vides58 is a member of the Guatemalan chapter of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance and has implemented four community programmes at La Bolsa, including a school, day-care, student grants and Qawale. Through its Qawale program, which means “partner” in Mayan, Vides58 exports coffee from surrounding small farmers and provides them with technical assistance and feedback on quality control.
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