Francisco’s coffee journey began as a child, picking coffee cherries on his family farm. He is the proud owner of La Esperanza farm in Cipresales, which he and his wife took on around 40 years ago. La Esperanza, which translates to ‘The Hope’, supports their family along with their employees, producing around 17 tonnes of coffee annually. Today, their son Elmer oversees the coffee processing operations. We sourced this coffee through Primavera, a green import and export company founded by Nadine Rasch, who has four generations of coffee farmers in her family in Guatemala. The company provides technical assistance and guidance on coffee growing and farm management, alongside advice on sustainable practices, fertilisation and efficient water use. For this lot, cherries were picked at peak ripeness, then mechanically pulped and fermented for 24 hours. After being thoroughly washed, the parchment coffee was dried under shade nets to slow the drying process, thereby ensuring a more even drying phase for greater stability and consistency. Francisco strives to keep learning and is constantly searching for ways to develop his farm and hone his craft. He is an active member of the community of farmers in Huehuetenango, and has won several prizes the Huehuetenango Highland competitions for the quality of his coffees.