After a boat ride across beautiful Lake Atitlan, we arrived in the village of San Lucas Toliman where Whole Foods Market sources some of their coffee. 
We were met by a 67 year old Guatemalan named Martin (mar-teen) who has worked this land for over 40 years. He lead us up a steep mountain trail to proudly show us where he grows coffee plants, fruit trees, and keeps bees for honey. Along the way he entertained us with stories of his life.
He lived during the civil war and as a young man, he found himself penniless with absolutely nothing, not even shoes. He went to a Catholic Church and asked the priest if he could get shelter in return for work. The American priest took him in and he worked as a handyman doing odd jobs around the church. The priest bought a bunch of land and offered a plot to Martin for around 100 Quetzales, which today would be around $13 dollars. It took Martin 3 years to pay off the loan, meanwhile he worked on clearing the land to grow coffee just a little piece at a time, as it was just himself.
We were met by a 67 year old Guatemalan named Martin (mar-teen) who has worked this land for over 40 years. He lead us up a steep mountain trail to proudly show us where he grows coffee plants, fruit trees, and keeps bees for honey. Along the way he entertained us with stories of his life.
He lived during the civil war and as a young man, he found himself penniless with absolutely nothing, not even shoes. He went to a Catholic Church and asked the priest if he could get shelter in return for work. The American priest took him in and he worked as a handyman doing odd jobs around the church. The priest bought a bunch of land and offered a plot to Martin for around 100 Quetzales, which today would be around $13 dollars. It took Martin 3 years to pay off the loan, meanwhile he worked on clearing the land to grow coffee just a little piece at a time, as it was just himself. After trudging up the steep path to Martin's property, we got to see the coffee plants and even the "real beginning", the bed of seedlings that will become coffee plants soon. 
Martin described how the seedlings need to be shaded because they can't receive too much sunlight and they must not have too much water, he talked about them as if they were children. After about 6 months they are ready to be transplanted, then a couple of years before they become a fruiting coffee plant. Coffee plants live and produce coffee berries for about 30 years.
Martin described how the seedlings need to be shaded because they can't receive too much sunlight and they must not have too much water, he talked about them as if they were children. After about 6 months they are ready to be transplanted, then a couple of years before they become a fruiting coffee plant. Coffee plants live and produce coffee berries for about 30 years.
Today he still works the land by hand, almost completely alone. During the harvest, he hires a few men to help carry the 150-200 pound bag of coffee beans down the mountain into the village. The trail is steep, narrow, and slippery. They can't use donkeys because there is no way to get water up the mountain for the animals. I never really put much thought into where my coffee originates from. However, there are many lives affected by that steaming cup of coffee that I sip on practically every morning. It was a really neat experience to see where it all begins, and I have a much greater appreciation because that is such hard work.
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