Huehuetenango

Pedro actively adapts to make the product of his farm, Guayabales, a little sweeter each year. Shade is naturally provided due to the slope of the farm and the groves of guava trees that give the farm its namesake. Shade-grown coffee cherries mature slower, but increase sugar content and clean fruit character. These coffees are dried on raised beds, in the shade, as opposed to drying on the traditional concrete patio. Slower drying directly translates to longer shelf life. Year to year, the Villatoro nursery plants and sows new varieties of coffee. After fighting leaf rust, Pedro saw the value in diversifying their offerings, adapting planting to introduce special lots that have won medals at the COE Guatemala. The cycle of planting seed to harvesting coffee (worth drinking) takes roughly 7 years. And yet, the upside is obvious once you take a sip.

Patience marks the process.