GUATEMALA Antigua Finca Medina - Green Coffee

Description

Process: Washed, Cup Score: 83 pc.

Founded in 1842, the Finca Medina family property is located on the outskirts of Antigua, at the foot of Agua Volcano. With an area of 74 hectares, the farm is dedicated to the use of good ecological and social practices.

Finca Medina is dedicated to advanced technology in the production and processing of coffee grinders, such as the drip irrigation system, while preserving traditional working techniques. Being also dedicated to sustainability, Finca attaches great importance to ensuring the well-being of their employees, maintaining awareness and care for the production environment, as well as maintaining a high production of premium coffee. This is ensured by a professional laboratory where the necessary quality controls are performed for each batch of this authentic Antigua coffee. Ecosystem conservation and proper maintenance of shady trees are of the utmost importance for the coffee plantation. Therefore, 10 ha of land are preserved as unaltered nature, so that the biodiversity of flora and fauna can thrive and thrive unhindered.

Finca Medina is involved in a number of social projects to help enrich the lives of their workers. One of the programs includes educating workers about safety, hygiene and health care and environmental care. Finca Medina also offers scholarships for schooling and school supplies for employees and their children. They provide an annual oral hygiene check for workers and family members. There are also opportunities for community sports, housing for many of the workers and much more.

Cultivation

The coffee plants at Finca Medina grow in the shade with about 320 shade trees per hectare. The density of shade trees has also helped reduce weed growth. Trees are fertilized with composted cherry pulp, and pests are controlled with traps and other practices, such as picking up fallen cherry after harvest.

Harvesting and post-harvesting

Harvest lasts from December to April. The cherries are hand-picked, while a Brix scale analysis is used to determine the optimum ripening point for the cherries. On the same day that the cherries are harvested, they are sprayed and fermented. After fermentation, they are cleaned and traditional washing and density sorting practices are used to sort and separate the best grains. The beans are then dried on a patio in direct sunlight. To ensure the drying process, the beans are turned with wooden vanes for a uniform drying.

Coffee in Guatemala

Guatemala boasts a variety of regions and growing conditions that produce spectacular coffees. Today, the country is revered as the producer of some of the most fragrant and nuanced cups in the world. We are proud to work with several exceptional partners in the country to bring these coffees to market.

Guatemala's coffee industry has experienced a major setback with the appearance in 2010 of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Latin America. The epidemic peaked in 2012 and, although CLR continues to affect some farms, Guatemala continues to produce record-breaking, high-quality coffee. In 2017, new and varied processing methods pushed the prices of the Guatemala Cup of Excellence to record levels.