About Finca Patzibir

The sound of birds is the first image that comes to mind for Michelle Carey of her six-generation family-owned Finca Patzibir. Michelle, her mother, María Cristina and her sister, Melissa, together operate the small farm of shade-grown coffee trees. Finca Patzibir is nestled in a valley at the feet of two volcanos, bordering a biodiverse forest, where mists regularly fall from the volcano, nourishing the soil. 5km from the stunning Lago de Atitlán in Guatemala, this is a calm refuge from Guatemala City life among the volcanic mountains that tower above the crater lake.

This trio of mother and daughters keep up a family tradition on this finca stretching back nearly 200 years. They focus on traditional varieties of the Atitlán region--Caturra and Borbón--but they’ve recently experimented with Ruiru. Michelle and her family believe they are caretakers of the Earth that provides for them, farming with meticulous processes from seed to harvest that involve as few chemical inputs as possible. Finca Patzibir maintains very high standards of quality, with recent cupping scores of 85+, for which they have been recognized in regional competitions.

Michelle and Melissa have started to take on leadership to support María Cristina more--Melissa taking charge of marketing while based in the United States, and Michelle leading production and turning the finca into a more sustainable business for the family.

Michelle emphasizes that coffee for her is a labor of love: love for nature, for family, and for the team of six workers that makes this production possible. Faith ties the family together and has brought them forwards through challenges. A symbol of this is the little Church of St. Monica that stands on the edge of their finca. When the tropical storm Agatha left a wake of destruction around Guatemala, destroying some parts of the farm and the original homestead, the workers found shelter in the church’s steeple, remaining safe until the floodwaters cleared.

Moved by this event and thankful for the wellbeing of their coworkers, the incident only made the ties between the family and the workers even stronger. María Cristina, Michelle and Melissa have always made sure to show their love to the people that work in the finca and live with their families in its surroundings, giving back to the community and hosting get-togethers to commemorate important dates and enjoy each other’s company.

“The cup of coffee isn’t just coffee,” comments María Cristina, “but also love and all the work, persistence and perseverance,” and this is reflected in their specialty coffee.