El Panal, Guatemala

Country/Region: Guatemala, Huehuetenango

Coffee: El Panal

Farm: Finca El Apiario

Producer: Jorge Mendez

In the cup: Vanilla, plum, and cherry

Jorge started as a picker in farms in San Pedro Necta. He saved money with his wife until he had enough to buy a small piece of land down by the PanAmerican highway. About 14 km away, and closer to civilization, Jorge learned the value of coffee; how to buy and sell, quality metrics, and how to grow quality coffees. With his new knowledge and an eagerness to produce high quality coffee Jorge moved back up the mountain and purchased land. At first he struggled to grow coffee at the new elevation and instead focused on growing corn while he continued to study coffee production. Luckily for all of us Jorge eventually succeeded in growing his coffee and continues to strive to improve his crop harvest after harvest.