LA COLINA NATURAL

The Farm

Located in San Martín Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, La Colina - The Hill - is named for the steep elevations of the area. Antonio is the third generation of his family to farm here, and began by planting grains and pulses. However, he told us that it has always been his dream to farm coffee, and in 1991, the first coffee tree was planted.

Slowly but surely, Antonio increased the number of trees and the production capacity of La Colina. Nine years ago, Antonio built his own processing facilities, and with his focus on quality rather than quantity, he has achieved excellent rankings in the Guatemala Cup of Excellence competition.

The coffee grows within a beautiful landscape oak, cypress, and pine. The farm benefits from multiple streams, with fresh water for irrigation and processing. Only one quarter of his farm is planted with coffee, while the rest remains native forest, certified by the National Institution of Protection of Forests.

The Process

Freshly picked cherries are transported to the dry mill and sorted, before being placed on raised beds to dry. Natural coffees from La Colina spend about 15 days in direct sun, with 11 hours of sun per day during the harvest season.