About Finca Kan

Reyna grew up in the world of coffee - she began helping her family during the harvest when she was just 4 years old, which would later spark her passion. Now, Reyna is 21 years old and is studying organic agronomy in college while also working on her own farm, supporting other small coffee producers by sharing her knowledge and experience in the organic production of coffee. Reyna’s farm, Finca Kan, is located at 1380 meters above sea level, in San Cristóbal Verapaz, Guatemala, a region renowned for producing high quality coffee. For the farm, its small size is an advantage to ensure the quality of its production, allowing the family to pay close attention to every step of the process, selecting only the best coffee beans to be used in their product.

The family tradition of farming began with Reyna’s great-grandparents, who worked in transporting coffee to the ports for export. Despite the low salary they earned, Reyna's great-grandparents saved up enough money to buy a small plot of land, enabling them to follow their dream of owning their own farm. Reyna's grandparents then began growing sugar cane; it was not until later when her father took the reigns of the farm that the family began growing coffee on the land.

This marked the beginning of Finca Kan. Now, the farm is a family initiative, which involves every member in the production of their coffee. The farm aims to produce high quality coffee, whilst reducing the use of chemicals, to maintain an organic product. However, this method of production poses many challenges, due to the investment needed to experiment with the different processes, to find how to produce the highest quality coffee, and continue the legacy of the region.

Another important goal for Reyna is to help other small coffee producers in her community learn more about cultivating coffee organically. In her community, Reyna is guiding 15 producers as they start their journey into the coffee industry, helping them to learn how to grow coffee, and sharing with them her experience and expertise.

Furthermore, Reyna helps two groups in her region, named ‘San Lucas Chiacal’ and ‘Najtilabaj de San Cristóbal’, who were victims in the armed conflict in Guatemala. These groups support producers in diversifying their crops, including coffee, in order to support their families to recover economically after the damage caused by the conflict.

In the future, Reyna aims to create a cooperative with these groups in order to aid the economic development of her community and provide support to other coffee growers. Reyna also hopes to directly export her coffee to other countries, minimizing the supply chain so that the farm can ensure the consumer receives coffee of the highest quality.