View the 2019 Auction Results

The San Jose Ocaña Auction 2019 has now finished and you can view the results. Together today we have made the coffee industry stronger through direct trade. We have helped Guillermo develop a broader base of people who he can sell coffee directly too. So well done to all the winners. We hope you and your own customers enjoy the coffee.

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View the 2018 Auction Results

See the results for San Jose Ocaña Auction 2018

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Why our coffee is so unique?

We take pride on having the highest standard of picking point (ripeness) possible, which San José Ocaña is known for. The uniformity of our picked crop, is seldom seen in other parts of the coffee producing world.

Each daily lot and variety on any given day is processed individually.

After fermentation, the 2nd stage at the wet mill, comes the washing process for the larger part of our production. That gets done with water from the soaking of the previous day´s lot. For our traditional washed coffee, we have implemented a 24 hr. soak phase, consisting of 1 change of clean water after a 12 hr. period. This takes place before placing the coffee on the sun drying patios.

We believe this gives our beans a more even distribution of all the organoleptic (flavor-giving) components inside the bean.

 

Water Processing

Team Briefing

Tracing Coffee from Source

Collecting our Rubbish

Taking care of the land to improve quality

How we take care of the land and the plants, which in turn gives us higher quality

Shading

Coffee in San José Ocaña is grown under managed and pruned shade trees – gravillea, and some native tree species, like oaks, cypress, and native pine species. We believe in not over stressing the cultivars, caused by being under complete sunlight. This allows plants to live longer in better shape, and yield nicer cup, by allowing nutrients to be absorbed in less stressing conditions.

Fertilization

Fertilization is done in an almost organic-like fashion, on a nutrient need basis, derived from both, soil, and tissue yearly analysis. When possible and available, we use naturally sourced fertilizers, instead of chemically produced.

We use the pulp from the wet mill´s process (by-product) for compost. After that, it is added to the producing plants, as an organic fertilizer.

Soil Management

We think about the soil in terms of long-term stability and sutainability. We carefully monitor its Ph, and its nutrient conductivity, making amendments where and when it is needed, according to the ANACAFE guidelines.

Waste Disposal

We have installed garbage containers all over the farm, throughout all internal roads, so our collaborators can dispose it appropriately. After collecting it, we periodically take it to recycling centers in the nearest town.

Sustainability

At San José Ocaña, we pride ourselves on possessing and implementing the true meaning of sustainability. This concept is big for us.

 

Our long time collaborators that not only know their work well, but also in a detailed manner, are constantly being trained, equipped, which has led to a long and reliable mutual relationship. By us managing the farm consciously, and responsibly, employees know their jobs are secured, and their families will be sustained. Year on, they have known that farm will always welcome them, whether with permanent or temporary work.

  • Our water supply is from natural springs, at a limited supply. We take much care of it. At the wet mill, we continuously recycle about 75% of it.
  • The benefit is that it allows to have a very rich fermenting bacteria water solution at the mill, that will give our batches great flavor notes and attributes. This also has the effect of shortening the fermenting process.
  • The water amount that gets renewed daily while the harvesting season, is then placed to rest at oxidizing and decanting reservoirs. After a few days, is then brought by gravity in a pipeline to irrigate cutting pastures that are fed to a small herd of cattle.
  • The manure it yields is used for compost, which is then fed to earthworms, which product is used on both, the seedlings at the nurseries, and at the plantation. 

The Farm

San José Ocaña is located in San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. It has a total of 175 hectares, 85 hectares for coffee and the rest for forestry and conservation. The altitude ranges from 1905 to 1955 meters above sea level. Its average rainfall is 1400 millimeters a year. For shade we use mostly Grevillea or Silk Oak and native species.

Our Coffee & Our Ethos

The farm has been at the family since 1909. Coffee was first established around 1920. Since then, one of Guatemala´s best coffees has been produced in moderate quantities.

We have a highly technified, and yet, very conservative management approach towards the plantation. We use advance tools to monitor and control plant wellness, while at the same time, we purposefully implement strategies to avoid plant stress, such as well managed shade trees, work with native tree species, always focusing on making biodiversity a priority.
We put special attention on quality, by being very conscious on the cherry picking stage. It is our highest priority to have the most mature cherries brought in to our mill, at a strictly monitored dark red wine color, almost purple.

Our farm does not have abundance of water. We depend on 2 small springs, so we are very conscious about it. We recycle about 75% to 80% of depulping water. At disposal, we then let it sit for a while to let all organic matter to decant, and then we use the water on cutting grass pastures to feed cattle, which only purpose is to produce manure. After collecting it (manure), we use it at the earthworm compost installations, and then we apply it to the soil for coffee plants as organic fertilizer.
At the wet mill, we are also very careful, and pay special attention to the fermentation tanks, in order to reach a perfect point. As the coffee gets washed again with recycled water, only a small amount of fresh water is used on the final wash, before going to the sun drying patios.

Once at the patios, we slowly dry the parchment, carefully monitoring surface temperatures, covering it with shade cloth when the sun gets too strong. This prevents scourging, achieving a very nice quality in the cup, with a wide array of flavors and notes.

Hence, we like to think our farm is under a true and most faithful meaning of the sustainable concept.

About San Jose Ocaña

San Jose Ocaña has been in the family for over 100 years, and has always been a sustainable agricultural operation, which started mainly as a forestry farm management. In time, it evolved to be a fine coffee producing farm, serving only the prime specialty coffee market. This is mainly as result of its high altitude, good clayish soils and varietals.

​Today, some forestry still goes on. All areas that are not exclusively coffee, are forestry, both planted and native forests.

Our Goal

Every coffee bean that comes out of the farm has to have the best quality possible and it has to be produced sustainably. Every board foot of lumber has to have the best quality as well, and be produced through the most sustainable management, and all the legal permits and certifications available.

Our Mission

We produce the best possible coffee quality with the highest sustainability mindset, designed to be able to maintain it in the same way, through the coming years.