Location
The Plantation is located in the north-west highlands of Guatemala, in a village of San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango 212 miles from Guatemala City. The farm is at an altitude of 5700 ft – 5300 ft above sea level, with a tropical temperature that ranges from 60°–72°F and yearly rainfalls, more heavily during the rainy season (May – Oct).
History
Finca Peniel has a 60-year long heritage of planting and harvesting high quality beans from the region. His founder, Virgilio Villatoro dedicated his whole life to cultivating, harvesting, and processing coffee. Around 1959, he bought his first piece of land and founded FINCA LAS ORQUIDEAS. The plantation’s name comes from the wild orchids that, thanks to the tropical climate, grow in abundance in the region. The climate and altitude where the plantation is located are ideal to grow Arabica and Bourbon coffee trees.
Virgilio initially started to grow two varieties of coffee bushes, and over the years introduced many more. Today the Finca grows over a dozen popular varieties including Caturra, Mundo Novo, Pacamara, Maragogype.
Following Virgilio’s death in 1996, his two daughters carried on the tradition and set up two plantations on the lands of las Orquideas. FINCA PENIEL is the plantation of Virgilio’s oldest daughter Blanca Elena Villatoro.
Challenging gender roles in Guatemala, Blanca’s work and dedication allowed her to become a respected and successful coffee producer in Huehuetenango.
Since 2016, Finca Peniel has engaged in maintaining the highest quality of coffee thanks to meticulous germination of seedlings. The seeds are carefully selected from the healthiest trees of diverse varieties producing the best tasting coffee.
Finca Peniel is also engaged in protecting, preserving, and restoring the local rain forest. Employees are thoroughly trained in environmentally conscious practices and actively involved in protecting and conserving the environment.