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.