Finca la Providencia

The producer

Finca La Providencia has been in the Palacios family since 1954, and has passed down through three generations in that time. Starting with Maximiliano Palacios through to his son Javier Palacios Funes (who passed away in 2006 at the age of 91) on to the current owner, Max Ariel Palacios Villatoro. 

Max will almost certainly pass on the farm to his own children, namely Javier who works in the coffee as a green coffee exporter. For now, however, Max holds down the fort, overseeing all aspects of farm management, both administrative and agricultural. He is a highly experienced and dedicated coffee producer with over 40 years of experience, a deep love of the land and a comprehensive knowledge of the region.

The coffee

Finca La Providencia’s location and elevation gives it an advantage in producing a very high quality coffee. The farm’s water resources are abundant, with several springs across the area, and the region has distinct wet and dry seasons, which are beneficial for flowering and processing.

The farm’s water resources are abundant, with several springs across the area, and the region has distinct wet and dry seasons, which are beneficial for flowering and processing. Farming in Huehuetenango, however, is not without its challenges. The topography of the farm is broken and very irregular, which makes harvesting and cultivation activities more laborious. Fertilisation of the clay loam soil must be done with stringent attention to detail in order to avoid ‘washing’ and erosion. For this reason, nearly 30% of the farm is kept under native forest, which helps prevent soil washing down the steep inclines and preserves the local ecology.