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From North Star Coffee Roasters

Finca La Bolsa isn’t just your run of the mill coffee farm, it’s a large extended coffee family! Our relationship with 3rd generation producers, Vides 58, is one of our longest and most cherished – our offer list just wouldn’t be the same without a beautiful washed and funky natural lot from this little coffee paradise over the course of the year. The farm has been in existence since 1958 and is the brainchild of Jorge Vides, a distinguished medical professional whose hobby for coffee cultivation turned into something much more meaningful. La Bolsa stands for ‘handbag’ and is aptly named due to its position nestled between two mountains, which provide a very stable, humid microclimate. This combined with the limestone rich soils give the coffee trees all they require to produce cups of great quality with the perfect balance of acidity and body. La Bolsa is a place where social, agricultural and environmental aspects of farming are a key focus of plantation management, ensuring sustainable practices are front and centre throughout every stage of production. By design, the farm is more than just a place of work. It is an important hub for not only it’s workers but for the whole community, providing work, education and healthcare to the region. We had the pleasure of visiting the vibrant and colourful on-site school during our last trip where we learned all about the curriculum and the various initiatives available to the children from their fully qualified, full-time teachers. As well as academia, the school has also made Associate Coffee Care available to it’s students – a project that seeks to reduce child labour and improve quality of life for coffee pickers and their families. Students aged between 2-14 years old have access to nutritional advice and are taught valuable life skills that have been designed to aid them in everyday life and improve general health. The farm is rainforest alliance certified but in essence it is so much more. With each visit we have been so very impressed by the fertility of the land, general health of the crops, organisation on the farm and commitment to the conservation of the ecosystem that is being both farmed and lived in. This is testament to the skilled agronomists and dedicated workers on site who enforce good agronomic practices which align with and in most cases surpass Rainforest Alliance standards. We have always loved juicy washed coffees from the north-western region of Huehuetenango - this beautiful lot is balanced and versatile making it suitable for both metal and paper filter methods, with or without milk.