On Saturday the Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupted, spewing ash and showering dust and rocks on its surroundings—including some coffee-growing areas.
One of Sustainable Harvest®’s longtime partners, Finca El Valle, is located in Sacatepequez—about 25 miles from the volcano. We reached out to co-owner Pablo Gonzalez, who told us that the Gonzalez family is shaken but safe.
Pablo says the ash has a sand-like consistency and is heavy enough to cave in the roofs of nearby houses. When it comes to coffee, however, Pablo says that the volcanic ash will likely have a positive effect on production at Finca El Valle—the iron-rich soil is quite fertile, and the light dusting (no more than 5 millimeters in depth) that El Valle has received so far is expected to be beneficial for the soil composition.
Finca El Valle’s coffee will be available in the coming months as Central Americans begin arriving.
Check out the photos he sent of the ash settling on the leaves of coffee trees.
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