Guatemala is known for her high altitudes and mineral-rich soils, as well as frequent rainfall in most regions, and as many as 300 unique microclimates. Today, coffee is grown in 20 of Guatemala’s 22 departments, with around 270,000 hectares dedicated to coffee production of which 98% is shade grown. The country’s coffee production is almost exclusively Arabica and is predominantly prepared using the washed methods—although natural and various semi-washed methods are gaining in popularity with increasingly excellent results.

In 1908, Ricardo Zelaya’s great grandfather decided he was going to forge a career in the coffee industry. He accumulated several properties throughout Guatemala at that time—and these coffee farms are the same beautiful farms that exist today! Generations of his family have followed in his path. Surrounded by coffee plantations, some family members devoted their lives to the quality and production of coffee—some becoming the first coffee exporters from Guatemala.

In 1989, the fourth generation of coffee growers, Ricardo Zelaya, completed his degree in agribusiness from Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School in Honduras, and later attended the University of Florida. Twenty-five years later, there is a strong and dedicated team under the leadership of Ricardo. They are committed and in love with coffee production, as well as the social and environmental responsibilities it entails. For example, Ricardo Zelaya is committed to helping community youth to achieve meaningful opportunities through a series of scholarship funds, including the Santa Clara Scholarship—recipients are chosen based on academic performance and financial needs. The scholarship covers 70% of their expenses including tuition, books, school supplies, and uniforms.

One example of environmentally responsible farming practices includes the farm’s mill design which allows them to recycle water, thereby minimizing need for water. Another example is the parchment is used as fuel in the mills to reduce waste and the use of wood. And still another example—pulp is transported from the wet mill into tanks filled with earthworms in order to produce lombricompost, which is then used as an organic fertilizer in the coffee fields, returning organic matter to the soil.

New Oriente coffee, one of Guatemala’s eight coffee producing regions, has been cultivated, almost exclusively, by small producers since the 1950s. Today, virtually every farm on the mountain has become a coffee-producer. Once one of the poorest and most isolated areas of Guatemala, New Oriente is now vibrant and growing. Rainy and cloudy, the region is located on the site of a former volcano. Its area is comprised of metamorphic rock, balanced in minerals, and different from soils in other volcanic regions when Arabica trees were first planted.

The coffee cherries are sorted by the pickers before transporting to the wet mill. At the mill, they are passed through a syphon to separate defective cherries, or floaters. The coffee is then transported and positioned to dry on patios for 25 to 35 days. The drying process is slow—the coffee is gently raked or turned every thirty minutes during the day.

La Finca Carrizal has a very special place in Ricardo Zelaya’s heart—it was his first-ever farm. At just 21 years old, Ricardo partnered with a family friend-of-his-father to purchase the farm, and over time they would also become good friends! Ricardo learned a great deal from his partner and vice versa. It was during these times, beginning in 1986, that Ricardo was able to experiment hands-on with everything he had learned from his studies—from agronomic practices to building his first wet mill. La Finca Carrizal still supports the nurseries that supply all his other farms. Almost eight months of rain annually, coupled with ideal soil conditions, ensure the young plants grow strong and are hardy enough to be transported to Ricardo’s other farms to be re-planted.

However, this farm’s location does have its challenges—it is in the northwestern part of Guatemala, and to get there is a six-to-nine-hour drive. Socially, the farm maintains a primary school of 97 children and includes a computer lab for the youth of the surrounding area.