Historically, the smallholder farmers around Santa Maria de Jesus in Guatemala have struggled to make a good living growing coffee. One farmer with a dream of helping his community looked beyond their collective history and laid out a vision of hope. Julio Cuy saw that as individuals success might be limited, but when neighbors collaborate, they can not only produce some of the world’s best coffee, they can help the community thrive. Since 2005 his vision has enveloped over 20 coffee growers who now comprise La Armonia Hermosa - “beautiful harmony.” 

In the past, coffee farmers had no real knowledge or control of what happened to their coffee once they’d picked and delivered their lots to a mill outside the area. Working with Deeper Roots Coffee, La Armonia now has its own ‘beneficio’ - a coffee processing mill where the coffee is de-pulped, fermented, washed, and then dried in the sun. Processing coffee is often one of the most difficult steps of production for coffee farmers - there is great room for error and loss of quality, and the machinery involved to make it less labor-intensive can be very expensive. Having their own wet mill helps La Armonia’s members ensure that their coffees are processed with a focus on quality in order to receive the highest possible price. A mill of their own also creates more jobs for the community.

La Armonia Hermosa is Nossa Familia’s longest-standing relationship outside of our family’s farms in Brazil. We have been importing their coffee since 2012 and have consistently been amazed by the increasing quality of the coffee and its deliciously unique flavor profile. We pay above market value for this coffee to ensure improved access to medicine, education, and a better quality of life for those who grow, harvest, and process this coffee.