Greater good Partners
Top of the Lake Coffee Roasters gives back to coffee producing communities through our Greater Good initiative. For each pound sold, we donate funding and resources to be used in community development in San Juan Laguna, Guatemala and surrounding areas.
Through our Greater Good initiative, we have provided a low interest loan for a business start-up, bought a sewing machine for a single mom to support her young family, provided a necessary handrail for a local school to meet government compliance standards, purchased and planted trees to hold the soil in the crucial land surrounding the water source for San Juan la Laguna, and bought trees for school children and their families.
Our partners in community development in San Juan la Laguna include coffee growers, an outstanding school, local business entrepreneurs, a grass roots community organization led by tenacious young professionals and the Casa Flor Ixcaco Women’s Cooperative.
Casa Flor Ixcaco is a multi-generational endeavor.
Casa Flor Ixcaco
Because of the clear vision of the women of the Casa Flor Ixcaco Cooperative and their open hearted partnership, much has been accomplished for the good of the community of San Juan la Laguna. Through the generosity of participants in 2 separate groups from the Lifetree Adventures organization, our Greater Good fund has shared in the completion of two key sustainable projects:
1) Chicken Coops. Through our Greater Goodpartnerships, resources were provided to purchase building materials for two large chicken coops, the hiring of local carpenters to work alongside participants to complete the project, and funds to buy 75 chickens and feed for 6 months. Eggs are being sold to solidify the financial foundation for community development projects.
2) Avocado Farm. We brought helping hands, hired local workers, purchased 100 Hass avocado trees, and purchased fencing for a sustainable avocado operation which will provide economic support for community development projects for many years to come. Watch the video interview of our friends Miriam and Delfina in the Avocado farm!
In addition, Top of the Lake purchases coffee from the Casa Flor Ixcaco cooperative whose members grow, harvest, and process the coffee. This remarkable and delightful organization not only produces outstanding small batch Arabica coffee, they provide a glimpse into the craft of artisan textiles as practiced for generations in Guatemala. Top of the Lake continues to partner with them to carry out community development projects that impact San Juan la Laguna and nearby villages.
Brent Bromstrup of Top of the Lake Coffee Roasters and Ancelmo Blanco
firsta en la boca
Ancelmo Blanco grew up in San Juan la Laguna and graduated from secondary school in town. He attended a culinary school in a nearby city and upon graduation returned to fulfill his lifelong dream of establishing his own restaurant. In 2012, Ancelmo founded “Fiesta en la Boca” (“Party in the Mouth”) restaurant. Because “Fiesta” quickly outgrew the original location, he leased a building with space on the main floor for his restaurant and two additional floors with 12 hotel rooms.
When the Top of the Lake team met with Ancelmo in 2014 he had a big vision for the restaurant and hotel business, but no cash to move forward. He received business mentoring from Top of the Lake and a micro loan through our “Greater Good” fund in early 2015. Loan funds have made it possible for him to purchase needed equipment for the restaurant, upgrade amenities for the hotel, and improve the marketing of the hotel within the community. The following television commercial is one outcome of the partnership between Ancelmo and the Greater Good fund from Top of the Lake.