About Finca El Zapote

From a very young age, María Elsa Girón Paz liked the countryside very much, as she grew up in the middle of growing coffee. Her love for the land came from generations ago, but she did not realize how great this love was until she began to take charge with her mother and her 3 brothers, two years ago. She had her father as her main inspiration for being a man who taught her so much about life and love for the land where she grew up. And without fear of what might happen and with little experience in the field, María and her sister decided to take charge of the farm.

The farm received the name "El Zapote" because when taking over the farm the owner received a tree similar to the sapote, which he later planted and decided to call it El Zapote. The farm is located in the village called Sumalito, in the municipality of Nebaj in the department of Quiché; about 265 km from Guatemala City and approximately 1,500 and 1,600 meters above sea level. Most of the farm is forest, it has a protected forest area and has trees that date back more than 100 years, planted by María's great-grandfather. In addition, they have water sources, the terrain is broken, with lots of mountains and a beautiful landscape with lots of vegetation.

"El Zapote" was founded by Maria's great-grandfather, who was originally from Barcelona, Spain; more than 100 years ago. He fell in love with those lands and started growing and harvesting coffee, inheriting his love for the lands that were later managed by his descendants. Triggering in this way motivations to meet his objectives from the production of this crop so demanded worldwide.

The situation in Guatemala, as in other developing countries, is critical. In this context, migration is just one of the main problems affecting the region, this is reflected in the lack of work personnel for the field of agriculture. However, Finca El Zapote took this problem as a motivation, with the main purpose of reducing migration by the villages. The social part is the one that stands out the most for Finca El Zapote as its main interest in coffee production.

María and her family have traveled a short but very important path in the world of coffee production. Despite obstacles such as the economic crisis, rising prices, climate change, access to coffee plantations and the transition of administration to the next generation, he has managed to move forward, keeping the farm well organized and continuing to work efficiently. Her hard and tireless work seeks both to learn more about a better beneficiary, as well as other important processes in the production chain to improve the quality of the coffee. As a result of all this, Anacafe will be providing technical assistance in general, since they signed up for the Sustainable Profitability Program.

The profile of the cup stands out for being rated very good to excellent. This cup can come from varieties such as Bourbon, Caturra, Catuai or Catimor. However, work has begun with the Geisha variety as well. Additionally, the geographical location, its production process and roasting (medium) give it a malicón and lemon acidity; caramel and chocolate aroma; with a consistent body; medium, persistent and prolonged aftertaste; and caramelized and sweet flavors, chocolate, lime, apple and grapefruit. An unusual coffee, with high quality and a story behind it, is the perfect description when having a cup of coffee from Finca El Zapote.