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WHAT MAKES THIS COFFEE UNIQUE?

The organic coffee from Isabel Farm is grown in the shade of endemic species in an organic and biodynamic system without the use of chemicals.

This cultivation, which uses natural processes, is more demanding but is considered essential by the Keller family to help preserve the purity and cleanliness of the soil and water sources for future generations.

Biodynamic principles encourage regenerative organic farming, with the aim of rehabilitating entire ecosystems and enhancing natural resources rather than depleting them

So between the coffee trees, pelibueyes (short-haired sheep) can be found, which promote the renewal of the plants on the ground. The farm also has a vermiculture programme that allows them to produce their own fertiliser. They also have a honey production.

The farm has its own wet mill, dry mill and roastery, which allows them to develop different fermentation and drying processes and maintain excellent quality control and produce coffee like the one in our Eco Coffee Pod Advent Calendar for Nespresso® machines.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR GUATEMALAN COFFEE

• Highlights: You can look forward to Bold, clean and fruity notes
• Producer: Alex Keller (scroll for more about Alex and his family)
• Altitude: 1100 –1300 MAS
• Environment: Shade grown
• Species: Arabica
• Varietal: Blend
• Harvest period: November to April
• Harvest type: Manual by hand
• Process: Washed
• Drying: Patios

WHAT IS BIODYNAMIC COFFEE FARMING?

Here at Blue Goose Coffee we are organic certified with the Biodynamic Association due to our beliefe in the biodynamic coffee growing principles that put a huge emphasis on soil health and not using pesticides, herbicides and other toxic ingredients in their farming.

This is similar of course to organic coffee farming, but biodynamic coffee farming goes further than certified organic farming when it comes to sustainability and care for the environment through self-sufficient practises on-farm.

The pelibueyes (short-haired sheep) sheep and vermiculture programme are a great example in the case of our Santa Isabel coffee.

Cover crops, green manures and crop rotations are used extensively on the farms to foster the diversity of plant and animal life, and to enhance the biological cycles and the biological activity of the soil.

MEET OUR GROWER

Finca Santa Isabel was founded in 1899 in the village of Pueblo Nuevo Viñas in Guatemala and run by three brothers and sisters of the Keller family.

Alex Keller is responsible for the processing, quality and organic management of the farm while his brother and sister oversee the logistics. They are very knowledgeable and closely follow all stages of production, from the soil to the process, in order to be able to control and adjust the quality of their coffees and their taste profiles. To support them, the farm employs 15 people year round.

They ere inspired to follow organic and Biodynamic farming principle after the farm suffered from what is commonly known as "mal de viñas". Rust attacked the leaves of the coffee trees and the family lost 20% of the farm in the first year, 40% in the second year and 75% in the third year. In order to avoid such losses, they decided to plant rust-resistant Arabica and Robusta varieties.

The choice was also made to ban chemicals and to turn to organic farming throughout the farm. Alex has also since integrated biodynamic practices into the farm that has entirely changed the growing , farming and environmental credibility of the farm and he actively shares his knowledge with other farmers in the region and country.