COMMUNITY, LA BOLSA | GUATEMALA

Finca La Bolsa — Guatemala · Community

01 · In the cup
A rich, comforting Guatemalan profile:

• Plum and apple
• Raisin sweetness
• Milk chocolate and hazelnut

A syrupy, well-rounded cup with plenty of sweetness — comforting and easy to love.

02 · Farm info
La Libertad, Huehuetenango · 1,800 masl · Caturra & Bourbon · Washed

Finca La Bolsa was bought in 1958 by Jorge Vides, a distinguished medical professional — before then, the land had never been used for coffee. Jorge went on to win numerous awards, both for his coffee and for his services to the Huehuetenango region, where the main hospital in the coffee-growing community was named in his honour. In 2002, La Bolsa placed second at the Cup of Excellence, scoring 94.98.

The farm sits between two mountains that shelter it in a stable, humid microclimate. Combined with the limestone-rich soils, this gives the coffee its distinctive character — a rich, syrupy body with plenty of malic and citric acidity. Cherry is fermented for 18 to 24 hours, cleaned of mucilage, graded in channels, and soaked overnight.

03 · Community & impact
La Bolsa is RFA-certified and follows C.A.F.E. Practices guidelines, but the heart of the story is its people. Coffee Care funded a school and nursery on the farm, staffed with fully trained, full-time teachers. Every worker — permanent or temporary — has access to schooling for their children, supported by a food donation programme: when a child attends for five consecutive days, the family receives a weekly supply of rice, beans, and corn. Before this scheme, it was hard to persuade parents to leave their children in others' care, with schooling undervalued and pressure for children to contribute to the family income. Today there are no children working on the farm, and the school and nursery are full.

Accommodation is provided for both permanent and temporary workers, with separate facilities for men, women, and families, alongside bathrooms and kitchens. Sections of the farm are set aside as conservation areas to promote biodiversity, reduce wind exposure, and prevent soil erosion. Inga trees provide shade and fix nitrogen in the soil, while Renardo has built an extensive composting operation that puts waste products to work with the help of red worms.