About Finca La Mandarina

Astrid Zamora began accompanying her father and grandmother on coffee plantations when she was a little girl. She quickly became enamoured by the fascinating way coffee is grown and began to take an interest in the entire process. Starting each day with a cup of coffee in hand became the family’s morning ritual. As she grew up, Astrid began devoting her free time to spend in the countryside to learn how to grow and look after a coffee shrub. This passion would later unlock an interest in the ‘beneficiado humedo’ (wet milling) process, which she uses today on her farm. It was Astrid’s love towards growing coffee that drove her decision to pursue Agriculture at the Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School. Being away from home for long periods of time was challenging, but the experience was very rewarding. Astrid became the third Guatemalan woman to graduate from Zamorano. In her time at Zamorano, Astrid became familiar with the administrative and commercial facets of a wide array of agribusiness practices. Her love for coffee and the desire to reunite with family propelled her to return to the farm and apply her knowledge to the family business.

Astrid is now a fourth generation coffee grower and has continued to run Finca La Mandarina (Est. 1985). This farm, located in Fraijanes, Guatemala, sits 1687 meters above sea level, which uniquely positions it as a host of a rich diversity of wild flora and fauna. It has two freshwater streams that flow through the landscape, providing life to its inhabitants. The farm also devotes its land to cattle and forestry. Above all, it is a farm with an ecological conscience.

Spanning across 142 manzanas, Finca La Mandarina is home to distinct coffee varietals such as Bourbon, Catuai, Pacas, Geisha, Costa Rica, Castillo, Sarchimor, and Marsellesa. These novel plants have been grown on the farm since 1985, when Astrid acquired an undeveloped forest which has flourished into a beautiful cafetal. Astrid notes that growing coffee is a tough line of work, especially with the high quality standard that buyers seek. Through taking charge of the beneficiado humedo (wet-milling process), Astrid ensures the coffee grown at La Mandarina meets this high quality. Astrid Zamora continues to play a fundamental role in sustaining her farm’s continued excellence and to provide the highest quality cup of coffee.