Since 1905, Finca El Injerto has produced exceptional coffee with a commitment to respecting and preserving the natural resources of the Huehuetenango region. Arturo Aguirre owns and operates the farm with his son, Arturo Jr. The farm is run with dedication to sustaining a coffee farming community and a meticulous approach to processing the highest quality coffee in Guatemala. The relationship between Stumptown and Finca El Injerto is one of our strongest and longest. We feel like our efforts, combined with that of the Aguirre family, have improved the coffee year after year.
Mr. Jesus Aguirre Panama acquired the land in 1874 and planted corn, beans, tobacco, and sugar cane. In 1900 he planted coffee and named the section of the farm “El Injerto” (the Grafting), since this was what started the agricultural development in the area. Three generations and over 100 years later, El Injerto has 245 hectares planted with coffee: 70% Bourbon with the remaining mixed between Catuai, Maragogype and Pacamara varietals.
The Aguirres protect the quality of the land through sustainable agricultural methods. Coffee parchment is used for fuel in the mechanical dryers. Water used in wet milling is filtered in ponds before returning to the rivers to avoid pollution downstream. Native species are replanted in reforestation efforts. Without using fungicides, herbicides or insecticides, they focus on the coffee plant’s tissue management system. They use worm culture technology which breaks down the coffee cherry skins to produce lombricompost which is used as fertilizer at the nursery and the final plantings. To avoid pests and diseases, the leguminosae Araquis pintol, a competitive plant that suffocates other weeds, is planted around the coffee plants. Shade trees are planted throughout the farm to promote air circulation and control the amount of sunlight received by the plants. El Injerto also has many social projects which promote the well-being and health of the workers and their families.
Arturo Sr. and Jr. ensure perfect cherry selection and utilize cherry flotation to sort by density. Disc depulpers remove the cherry prior to extended fermentation which can last up to 72 hours in a cold climate. The coffee is then double washed and soaked. Patio pre-drying prepares the beans for a final low temperature drum drying.
2011 Update:
During this year’s visits to Finca El Injerto, we happily saw that many of the excellent standards and practices that make this coffee a perennial favorite at Stumptown were still being executed with care and exceptional precision. Sometimes the best update is that everything is the same.