Osmín Alfaro, Finca El Ocotal

When I was 18, I decided to risk the trip to ‘el norte’…

That’s how we often call the United States here. I traveled through Guatemala, Mexico, and then all the way across the US to Boston. On buses and trains, sometimes on a boat, or I had to walk when I found no means of transportation.

In Boston I made money, working in construction, and I learned English too. As soon as I had made enough, I traveled all the way back to my home town and bought some land to grow coffee, back in 2011.

I don’t even know why, but I loved it, from the start. I love working on my plantation, I often touch the leaves and talk to them, we have become friends. By now, I own 16 hectares at an incredibly prosperous location, in the middle of a pine forest.

Mostly, I work here alone. I enjoy being by myself, hear the birds sing, enjoy the silence of the woods, and tend to my plants. But I also love the buzz of the picking season, when I hire many people to help me out, and we are all running around like busy working bees. The smell of the freshly picked cherries is incredible, it’s about the nicest smell I know, apart from smelling a hotly brewed cup from my own beans, maybe!

I’m looking forward to work directly with small roasters and because I can speak and write English, I think it will be easy for me to connect with you. Try a sample and let me know what you think.

Farm facts

My farm is 16 hectares and is located at 1,300 to 1,450 meters altitude. It’s in the middle of a precious pine forest, but I have still planted some banana trees, mostly because I love to eat them.

Cultivars are Pacas, Lempira and IHCAFE 90. Most of my plants are eight years old and I tend to them very carefully, making sure there are always enough nutrients and water, as well as plenty of shadow from the pine trees.

The finca is FTO certified.

This farm is Rain Forest Alliance certified.