Montecristo coffee farm, is located in Santo Domingo village, La Libertad, Huehuetenango; in one of the ramifications of Los Cuchumatanes Mountains. It has an extension of 58.83 hectares, 13.25 are natural forest and the other are coffee plantation. Actually, this farm is identified as a Private Natural Reserve.
It was founded in 1983, by Benjamin Heberto Villatoro Camey, in an area, practically virgin area for the coffee sector. Since its beginning tried to create a coffee producing space which were respectful from nature.
At this time, he still works in the farm. He has been teaching his employees the coffee seeding and arduous work for the coffee sector since 36 years ago. Don Benjamin personally elaborates his own coffee breeding plants and plants them. From the beginnings they seed Caturra coffee.
Quality controls in Montecristo go from seedtime, establishing coffee plant type, its growing and fungus sicknesses liberation. Besides, coffee is codified.
Coffee produced in Montecristo is considered, by cuppers, one of the noblest coffees produced in Guatemalan plateau. It’s harvested and processed carefully and selectively by Guatemalans, who have made of coffee seedtime a tradition.
Montecristo has a traditional wet mill and drying fields. Actually is been evaluated the implementation of an eco-tourism project, around Huehuetenango coffee routes, this would include thematic, formative, sport, recreational and extreme activities.
Farm profile
Geographic
characteristics
Location: La Libertad, HUEHUETENANGO
Area: 36 ha
Altitude range: 3500 - 3600 feet
Type of soil and predominant element: Loamy-Clay
Shade trees: Inga
Climatic
characteristics
Average temperature: 22°C
Annual rainfall: 1800mm
Relative humidity: 60%
Coffee
production characteristics
Harvest season: January to March
Drying process: Sun
Mill: Wet
Annual production: 525 (69-Kg bags)