Finca La Hermosa
52
Our La Hermosa lots come from a cooperative system of 52 Families.
14°30'2.15" N-90°52'20.15" W
GPS Location of Finca La Hermosa.
5
We’ve been in a relationship with Finca La Hermosa for 5 years now and we can’t wait for more!
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Finca La Hermosa was started 13 years ago by Max and his wife Claudia. Max is a 5th generation producer.
Resourcefulness is what comes to mind when we talk about Max and Claudia from Finca La Hermosa located in Acatenango, Guatemala. Especially when market prices are high, cost of organic fertilizers are high, and labor is hard to come by, being resourceful really set Finca La Hermosa apart this year.
Much of their dedication towards resourcefulness came about back when they started Finca La Hermosa 13 years ago now. Max and Claudia had just graduated from law school and had decided to hop into the world of coffee instead. They bought abandoned land and lived on it without access to water/electricity initially while raising two kiddos!
Today, it’s cool to see their definition of resourcefulness change as it’s become more about honoring what they’ve been given. This level of appreciation is found at every stage; from their dedication to harvesting ripe cherries to their desire to grow & process coffees with the earth in mind. Lastly, as is true with all Guatemalan producers, their hospitality is full of gratitude and giving of honor to the many others that have made their farm a success.
Moving forward, Max & Claudia are excited about their kids growing up on the farm, their exporting business that’ll provide more market access to more Guatemalan producers/families, Cup of Excellence Lots, and having more roasters to come down to visit.
History and More Info on Finca La Hermosa:
Max Perez is a 5th generation coffee farmer. He and his family are originally from Huehuetenango and have a family farm there that is run by his father. 11 years ago, Max and wife had an opportunity to buy an abandoned farm that has since become Finca La Hermosa.
Since the farm had been abandoned for a significant amount of time, everything needed to be renovated. Plants were pulled up, fields were tilled, raked, and maintained, shade trees were planted, and the construction of a wet mill ensued. This amount of investment is actually quite risky. Since the coffee market is super volatile and doesn’t always offer profit margins, farmers who make investments like that are often driven by something more than profit margins. Instead, they see coffee as a long term investment/adventure/lifestyle.
It’s what I really admire about Max. He sees into the future and is willing to sow the seeds in the present with the hope to see it flourish in the years to come; despite the risk. When asked if his objective behind La Hermosa was to produce the best coffees in Guatemala, his response was admirable. “Of course it’d be nice to have great coffees, but I’d rather like to see us selling larger volume in a way that can sustain the farm and the next generation.” (Paraphrase as he nods to his son.) At the same time, Max is also known for producing significantly great coffees (89+ Coffees) as he holds several Cup of Excellence awards. To get a response like this out of Max really showed us his genuine humility.
Today, Finca La Hermosa has a fully functioning wet mill, a couple of chicken coops, and a house he and his family live in during the harvesting months. It’s a farm we’re really proud to represent and a farming family we’re even more excited about. His coffees are stellar but his family, personality and character are what drive us to want to continue supporting Finca La Hermosa year after year.
