SHB Finca Aurora (Nuevo San Carlos, Retalhuleu)

Our Guatemala SHB Organic coffee is grown on a single estate called FINCA AURORA. This single estate  is near the village of Nuevo San Carlos in the region of Retalhuleu, South West  section of Guatemala.

This farm (489 hectares) was founded in 1929, and was previously owned and certified organic by the founders of UTZ KAPEH. It is grown under the heavy shade of native wood and fruit trees such as Chicharro, Matabuey, and Majau. The coffee is grown at an altitude between 900 and 1,200 m.a.s.l.

The coffee comes from the Catuai and Caturra varieties. The cherries are harvested from November through March. The total area planted in coffee is around 350 hectares, which yield approximately 2,000 bags of exportable quality. The coffee is certified organic by CERES which is accredited by JAS. The farm has been organic since 70 years ago, but only certified since 1998.

The red cherries are harvested and wet processed on the same day in the farm. The wet processing is carefully done at their beneficio which is located at 900 m.s.a.l surrounded by the plantations. The farm has its own natural springs running throughout the plantation.

Once this process is completed, and the coffee is washed, the parchment is carefully set on concrete patios for sun-drying, allowing the cool breeze to flow through the coffee. All of this process takes place at the farm.

Once the beans have reached the ideal moisture content between 11 and 11.50%, they will be bagged, and stored at the farms warehouse and allowed to rest in parchment.  The parchment will then be  milled in the farm owned and operated mill, which is also certified organic by CERES. The milling will be done once the order is placed, thus maintaining the beans in parchment as fresh as possible before export.

We have been working with this producer since 2010, and our customers are very pleased with the consistency of their quality!