A few years ago we were fortunate to establish a direct trade relationship with the good folks at Finca Vista Hermosa in the highlands of Guatemala. We've even gotten to know Edwin Martinez, third generation coffee grower, who happens to live in Bellingham when he's not at the Finca helping with the harvest. He keeps us up to date with stories from the farm, and thus we've always felt more connected with the people who have had a hand in bringing us this excellent coffee.
Recently, we received some tragic news from Edwin:
"On February 15, Carlos, the manager of Finca Vista Hermosa, and his son Edwin, were on their way back up to the Finca with supplies and money for payroll. On the way up the mountain, some bandits not from the area took their money and their lives as well. This was shock not only to the FVH Family, but also to the local community."
Please follow this link to Edwin Martinez's blog post if you'd like to read more. There's also an excellent memorial of Carlos on
coffeegeek.
This terrible and senseless act has left Carlos' wife, Juana, alone to support her family of 11 children. You may have noticed some signs around the cafes, but we want to let you know that we're rallying the Victrola community to help, and until March 7,
100% of the sales of our Guatemala Finca Vista Hermosa coffee bean sales will go directly to Carlos' surviving family. This includes
online and in the cafes.
Edwin Martinez has also set up the Carlos and Edwin Garcia Martin Memorial Fund for Juana and her family, and if you wish to contribute,
you can donate directly via Paypal here, and you can make donations at our cafes. If you're in the Bay Area, our friends at
Barefoot Coffee Roasters are also accepting donations. Edwin is heading down to Guatemala on March 8, and he will personally deliver all contributions to Juana upon his return to Finca Vista Hermosa. He will also make sure to relay any messages of condolence, should you wish to convey your feelings to the Martin family. We know that we will.
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