Nueva Granada is a farm owned by the Nottebohm family, now in their third generation after buying the farm in 1984. The history prior to that involved importing and sourcing the coffee, but never owning a farm.

Part of a family of companies, they also grow sugar and macadamia nuts, as well as own an export company to ship the coffee out of the country. Nueva Granada is a deep green coffee farm in San Marcos, nestled by the two tallest volcanos inGuatemala - Tajumulco and Tacana. In March and April the coffee trees bloom with jasmine-scented starry flowers that drift like clouds over the farm. The green buds then grow under the canopy of shade trees until, by late October, plump cherries cascade down the branches and begin to ripen. Caturra and Catuai have taken more dominance over the land since the emergence of La Roya, or rust. Bourbons are more susceptible to rust which Dieter describes as creating a desert on the farm. It is interesting that this has also created space for planting 50,000 Geisha trees and Laurina. The latter from just 25 seeds brought back from Reunion and the Conilon is from Brazil via Mexico. Coffee is now also milled at the farm.

32 families live on the farm, so the infrastructure is important for them. However, it is opened up for the local communities nearby, as well as for the seasonal workers that come in during harvest. Both wet and dry milling are carried out on the farm and allow for full quality control, before being shipped directly to the port.

An early adopter of Rainforest Alliance standards, they were amongst the first in Central America to be certified back in 2001. We have been working with them since 2003 when their coffee was used to introduce Rainforest Alliance as a certification programme to the UK. Although no longer RFA certified (The current amount of admin and regulation counter to the traditional uses has seen the farm take a step back from certification this year), they remain committed to the environment with around 10% of the farm dedicated to wild forest. Over 60 hectares are reserved for wild woods, allowing animals such as pumas and deer to pass through and visit other farms in the area. The rest of the farm has tree cover too, amongst the Inga, macadamia trees which provide an additional source of income. 40+ tons of compost is produced each year using the red worms, mixing both coffee pulp and macadamia skins.

Although Eco Processors are the preferred method due to lower water usage, springs burst forth on the farm and are sometimes used in processing. Spring water use is reduced through technology, and quality preserved through careful filtering of waste.

Dieter and Holly are the current owners. Holly is a keen supporter of the local arts and runs programs to make sure the local heritage is not lost. There is a primary and secondary school provided, housing, a health clinic, church, and football pitch for the working community. Dieter also sponsors scholarships for 50 children from neighbouring villages to attend the school system. Spring water is also harvested to provide a clean source to nearby villages, and health workers are employed to cover education, first aid, and vaccinations.