True North - Guatemala La Concepcion

True North is our positive impact coffee, raising £1 in each retail bag for Trees for Life’s work to re-wild the Scottish Highlands.

We first got involved with Trees for Life in 2018 when we started our annual tree planting mission to offset our carbon footprint. The team has been out in sharp autumn winds and rain to plant a mix of Scots Pine, Rowan and Birch at Drundreggan estate and Grey Willow in Glen Affric.

Since the charity was founded in 1993 Trees for Life has planted an incredible 1.7 million trees with 10,000 volunteers, re-wilding some 4,000 hectares of land in the Scottish Highlands. About 6,000 years ago an estimated 1.5 million hectares of Scotland was covered in rich native pinewoods. Now only about 1% of this original forest is left, broken down into small and isolated fragments. Much of the wildlife dependent on the forest has been lost.

Trees for Life is committed to a much more ambitious vision than just tree planting. The charity is also at the forefront of promoting re-wilding as a new approach to land management that can benefit both wildlife and rural communities.

Other initiatives that Trees for Life have worked on include an assessment of the health of remaining pine wood fragments in partnership with The Woodland Trust. The Trees for Life Skills for Rewilding programme is an amazing opportunity for five people each year to spend 12 months, fully funded, learning practical skills required to gain employment in the Scottish environmental sector.

50% of funds raised by our True North blend will go directly to planting trees and the remaining 50% will be dedicated to rewilding. As Trees for Life’s Head of Fundraising & Engagement Colin Mackenzie-Blackman puts it: “Rewilding requires long-term vision and commitment, which is why we are delighted to be working with Glen Lyon Coffee and the launch of True North. The Trees for Life vision is of a revitalised wild forest in the Scottish Highlands, enabling communities to thrive and wildlife to flourish. With Glen Lyon’s generous support we are a step closer to realising that vision.”

As Gandhi famously said: Be the change you wish to see in the world. So at Glen Lyon Coffee we are delighted to be supporting Trees for Life with this new blend. We believe that in this age of climate change and habitat loss the rewilding vision for ecological restoration is an essential ‘work of hope.’

Our latest True North is from Don Hector Leal's 100 hectare farm based in the town of Acatenango, Guatemala.

Around the turn of the 20th century (1890), don Anacleto Marroquin, a first-generation coffee producer, in an attempt to benefit from the boom of the coffee industry that resulted from the enactment of policies of the central government which favored this industry, bought Finca Esperanza, in the valley of Acatenango, together with his wife Higinia Melendez.

The original farm was about 250 hectares in size. In 1910, don Anacleto’s daughter Maria Natalia and her husband Maximiliano Perez inherited the farm, and started planting it anew. All of the production in the following decades was transported with donkeys and mules to the town of Acatenango, a two-and-a-half-hour-long trip, to be processed in one of the few wet mills in the area. It was not until 1956 when Maximiliano built their own wet mill in the farm and started to introduce Caturra as the main varietal in the farm. In 1968 Finca La Esperanza won 2nd prize of the national competition for coffees grown above 4000 ft. In 1978, Maria Natalia and Maximiliano’s daughters Berta and Julia inherit the farm and manage it for another 3 decades, selling part of it in the process, before finally selling the farm to don Hector Leal in the early 2010’s. Today, formerly known as La Esperanza, Finca Concepcion is comprised of 100 hectares and the owner, putting his 65+ years of coffee work and knowledge to use, has transformed the farm with new growing methods and varietals which include H1, H3, Casiopea, Gesha, Ethiopean Dwarf, Pink Bourbon, amongst others, producing an exquisite cup of coffee.

Javier from Caribbean Goods was fortunate to meet Maris Leal and Daniel Skineer-Klee. Maris is the granddaughter of Don Hector Leal and currently manages the farm with her husband, Daniel. Their collaboration appears seamless, and their dedication to exceptional quality is evident. Maris has also judged coffees at ANACAFE (The Guatemalan Coffee Association), and together with Daniel, they have three lovely children.

Our speciality coffees are 100% traceable and ethically sourced. We work direct with farmers, or through trusted partners, to bring you the best coffee from around the world.