Discover the story of Guatemala Catalan de las Mercedes

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Guatemala is home to one of our most cherished coffees, not just for its exceptional flavor but for the story behind it. Each bag of this light-roast single-origin coffee is grown and produced at a farm with an on-site school. The educational program at the school was developed in partnership with Coffee Care, the non-profit arm of specialty coffee traders Unitrade, which Caribou Coffee has partnered with for several years on other social projects. This collaboration demonstrates how every cup we brew leaves a lasting impact. 

The origin of the single-origin coffee

Nico Hammond at his farm, Finca Catalan de las Mercedes.

This story starts on a third-generation coffee farm in a village called San Martín Jilotepeque, located in the Chimaltenango region of Guatemala. The farm, known as Finca Catalan de las Mercedes, is owned and operated by Nico Hammond and his wife, Angi Hammond. Nico is a community leader partnering with Unitrade to make a positive change for the surrounding population. 

Located approximately 45 minutes from the city of Antigua, the farm produces and processes several varieties of coffee. Grown at an altitude of 1,800-2,000 meters (more than one mile high), our single-origin Guatemala is the red bourbon varietal. Nico’s grandfather began planting this variety about 60 years ago. Bourbon is widely recognized for its complexity and sweet cup profile. The soil in which the coffee trees grow is clay-like and volcanic; this results in juicy and fruity qualities. 

How this coffee farm adopted an education program 

Our sourcing partner for this coffee, Unitrade Coffee, has sourced sustainably grown coffee beans for over two decades. The organization works closely with producers and is active in improving local infrastructure. In 2004, Unitrade established Coffee Care, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the lives of coffee farmers by improving access to education, healthcare, and sustainable farming practices. One of Coffee Care’s initiatives is to open school daycare programs aimed at eliminating child labor during the coffee harvest season. The programs offer education, nutrition, and health services at no cost for children of coffee farm workers. This allows these parents to focus on working at the farm, knowing that their children are cared for and safe in the school program.  

Coffee beans drying and being prepared for various phases of the milling process at Finca Catalan de las Mercedes.

Crista at Coffee Care shared with us how Nico’s coffee farm became an extension of Coffee Care’s school program. In 2020, after a decade of Coffee Care running daycare centers in other coffee regions during the harvest season, their financial supporter told them it was time to hand over the project to the communities. Crista explained, “we knew it would be difficult, and we also felt worried that all the knowledge and experience that we had gained would just somehow get lost once we had handed them over. So, we had the idea to design a guide to run ‘harvest season schools’, or ‘Kitas’, as we named them.” 

Nico became one of Coffee Care’s producer partners to test the Kitas. After three years of guidance, Nico would need to continue running it on his own. Crista reflected, “It was beautiful to see that when a farmer is engaged from the beginning, they really care about the project.” The program at Nico’s farm is still a success today, supporting the education of dozens of children every year with ages ranging from infants to pre-teens. Nico has also created a program to further educate the children that have aged-out of the school—teaching them how to grow fresh vegetables that they can then sell to help make money for their families.  

Caribou Coffee proudly supports Coffee Care, contributing to its other efforts with coffee farming communities to make a meaningful impact. Read our ESG report to learn more about how Caribou has supported Coffee Care. 

Brew your own cup of support 

Guatemala Catalan de las Mercedes features sweet, bright, fruit-forward chocolate characteristics. Don’t miss out on the chance to try it and support Nico’s farm. You can buy Guatemala Catalan de las Mercedes online or at your favorite Caribou Coffee coffeehouse while supplies last. Experts suggest brewing this single-origin coffee by adding 23.5 g of coffee and 300 ml of water to a pour over heated to 205 degrees Fahrenheit between three and three and a half minutes.