Finca Vista Hermosa, Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

    Great Northern Roasting Company is proud to announce that every pound of Finca Vista Hermosa Guatemalan Peaberry sold will result in five dollar donation to the family of Carlos Martin, former finca manager in Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

    Carlos Martin managed and maintained the coffee production for Finca Vista Hermosa. He was the kind of finca manager who knew evey square inch of his surroundings, and used his knowledge to track, select, and harvest the fine coffees we now have the honor of enjoying at Greatnoroco. He was the one who would walk the forest checking on the coming conditions for the season, the needs for future coffees, and managing the workforce to make sure the fruit of each harvest met the exact needs of the land to produce award winning quality. He was a finca manager respected as someone who worked with his fellow cafèteleros, not above them. Carlos Martin was the eyes and ears that countless coffee people depended upon to make their daily coffee ritual something much more than a caffiene fix.

    On Feb. 15,  Martin and his seventeen year old son Edwin were returning to the finca with supplies and the cash payroll for the workers at Finca Vista Hermosa. They were stopped by roadside bandits who took their money and their lives. Although we never had the opportunity to meet him, his efforts are felt every time we think of and enjoy his coffee. He is survived by his wife, Juana, and his eleven children.

       For more on Carlos Martin and his legacy, please visit the Finca Vista Hermosa blog.