Producing partner: Ellen Prentice
Finca De Dios farm in Guatemala is a near-perfect template of conscious coffee farming. Owned and operated by the Prentice family, it was converted from a horse farm into a full coffee operation by Ellen Prentice, who became an agricultural engineer and inherited the land from her father. Stuart, an electrical engineer, designed an elaborate and beautiful wet mill using natural springs for irrigation. Their daughter Ashley, who has a roasting company in Guatemala City called Gento Coffee, received a master’s degree in coffee science and economics in Italy and assists with processing innovations and building roaster relationships.
The unique combination of experience and academics the Prentice family brings to Finca De Dios lends to the beautiful coffees created from the rich, volcanic soils of Fraijanes. Combined with projects that help local schools and orphanages, the scope of impact for Finca De Dios is staggering for a farm of its size.
We’re proud to be in year six of working with the Prentice family to source coffee. We’ve been visiting since 2019, cupping coffees with Ashley at her roasting facility in Guatemala City and braving the wild traffic (no traffic = 35 min, with traffic = 2-3 hours) to visit the farm in Fraijanes.
This coffee comes from small, family-owned coffee farms in the Antigua region of Guatemala. It’s delicate and balanced, but our QC team also described it as “badass,” and that’s the stamp of approval we really care about. A soft key-lime note mingles with vanilla blossom and honey. Epic on pour-over.
Finca Medina, the farm where these coffee cherries are processed, has a commendable commitment to their farmers and the environment, providing technical support for best farm practices, RFA certification, and cupping feedback. Coffee is fully washed and sun-dried, with wastewater and pulp converted to compost for the coffee farms.