Cultivating a Legacy: Inside the Life of Coffee Grower Francisco

Written by Elizabeth Leighton

As you walk through the “monte” or mountainside leading up to Francisco’s property, it is clear these are his stomping grounds. Passing by each plot of land, Francisco is able to give a brief history lesson. He can tell you which owners are of Spanish descent and how recently each plot of land was purchased. It’s admirable and evident how much time Francisco has spent in the coffee-growing business.

Francisco’s Introduction to Coffee Growing

At the ripe age of eight years old, Francisco got his foot in the door in the coffee-growing business. His grandparents and parents were both coffee growers, always having their own land and never working on a plantation. When Francisco had free time, he would accompany his father to his property and lend a helping hand. Just through observing his father and his techniques, he began to learn the ins and outs of planting and caring for coffee plants.

On one of Francisco’s plots of land, which he inherited from his father, there is a cement basin to collect rainwater for the coffee plants. On the side, Francisco’s father’s initials are engraved with the date 29th of October of ‘82. Francisco shared that he helped his father construct this basin. Francisco explained that he helped to carry up the cement to construct the basin and joked that he served as his father’s “little donkey”.

When he was twelve, Francisco began his own seedbed/nursery. At fourteen, his dad noticed his natural ability with coffee plants and gifted him two “cuerdas” (a unit of measurement for land in Guatemala which measures roughly ⅕ of an acre or 1.6 NBA basketball courts). After a few years of caring for those plants and allowing them to mature, Francisco already had his own coffee harvest at the age of seventeen.

A Life-Long Career

Now at the age of 65, Francisco has gone from two “cuerdas” to twenty-five “cuerdas”. A 48-year-long career in the coffee growing business. Walking through his property, Francisco explained his different rotational methods for his coffee plants. He explained how he encourages the plants to grow sideways instead of upwards, so it is easier to reach the ripe coffee plant come harvest time. He was clear to explain how much care and dedication you have to give to each plant, otherwise a low-quality product is produced. Francisco also continues to cultivate his own seedbed/nursery up on his property, that way when the seedlings are ready to be planted, he doesn’t have to carry them all the way up to his property, which resides on the base of Volcano Atitlán.

Francisco joked that looking for the best seed is like looking for a girlfriend, you look for the prettiest one. And from the best seed you then get the best plant. Throughout the thirty minute hike that it takes to get up to Francico’s property, he is able to point out some of the mistakes that the owners of other plots of land are making with their plants. It is evident that Francisco is detailed and attentive with every plant he cares for.

25 “cuerdas” might sound like a lot of land, but when you see the property with your own eyes, you actually recognize how much work this is for one man. During harvesting season, which typically runs December through March, Francisco will sometimes contract two or three helpers to harvest the ripe coffee fruit. But otherwise, he works solo the rest of the year. Francisco visits his property daily, leaving his house at 8 am. He takes a 10-minute-long tuk-tuk ride to the entrance of the trail, and from there, walks thirty minutes uphill to reach his property. He usually packs a lunch and eats it up there, then continues to care for his plants in the afternoon.

Francisco points out that the work of a coffee grower who owns their own property does not just involve physical labor. He explained, “For example, a producer who works on his own land has to learn how to be an accountant, an administrator, and he has to be a day laborer as well. This person is fulfilling various roles.” It is a lot of tasks for just one individual to juggle, yet Francisco has learned how to balance the different hats he must put on.
Francisco enjoys the fresh air of the mountainside where his property resides. San Lucas has changed a lot in his time, and his plots of land offer a nice escape from all the development and smoke.

“If Not for This Opportunity, I Would Have Immigrated to the U.S.”

Not only is Francisco incredibly knowledgeable and hard-working, but he is also very grateful for the opportunity that Café Juan Ana has given him. He admits that if it weren’t for Café Juan Ana and the above-market prices that they offer their growers, he would have immigrated to the United States to be able to financially support his family. He says, “I give thanks to God that through this opportunity I am in my hometown.” Francisco has been selling his coffee to Café Juan Ana for 25 years.

Additionally, he mentioned that through the extra income he makes with Café Juan Ana, as opposed to selling his coffee in the market, he is able to pay the electricity bill at his house. “It is a big help” he says, speaking of the financial support that his relationship with Café Juan Ana has given him.

Additional Benefits of Selling to Café Juan Ana

Francisco also mentions that Café Juan Ana not only helps in terms of the elevated price that they pay for the ripe coffee product, but also in that they take care of processing the final roasted coffee. In the past, Francisco explained, coffee buyers expected coffee growers to process their coffee until the “pergamino” state or parchment coffee. To process the parchment coffee, growers had to have their own patios to dry the coffee and then remove the outermost layer. However, now, coffee buyers like Café Juan Ana, have their own large patios so they help growers like Francisco in this way. Now Francisco does not have to process his own coffee and just sells the ripe coffee fruit.

Francisco’s mother would roast their own coffee product on a clay “comal” or hotplate over an open flame. And Francisco and his siblings were in charge of filling a small cookie jar with the ground coffee. Women would often get burned in this process. He says in general, there are more ways to rest nowadays because Café Juan Ana facilitates the remainder of the coffee production. The workload for coffee growers is less now, and for that Francisco is grateful to Café Juan Ana.

Continuing the Family Legacy

Doing the work of his ancestors is a source of pride for Francisco. He shares, “I feel blessed because I followed in the footsteps of my ancestors: my grandfather and my father. My vision for the future is that if not all of my children, some of them will follow these footsteps as well. Two of them are already buying their own plots of land (to grow coffee), which shows that they will inherit this career as well”. However, being one of twelve children, this path as a coffee grower wasn’t one that was forced upon Francisco, but rather one that he chose. Only three out of the twelve siblings, including Francisco, are coffee growers today. Francisco learned from his father along the way, but also found personal interest in the business as well and that is what has helped him to be successful.

Francisco again emphasizes his gratitude for being a coffee grower with Café Juan Ana and the opportunities he has been given. He says “I am satisfied to work with coffee, send the product far away and that it is enjoyed there, that we are helped through that and we feel satisfied in our community. Because migrating is not easy.”

Conducting this interview over a cup of Café Juan Ana coffee, I asked Francisco how satisfied he feels that his own hands contributed to make this final cup of coffee that we were enjoying. But he kindly redirected my line of thinking, and not taking any personal credit, expressed his gratitude to God. He says, “I give thanks to God for giving me the wisdom and the opportunity to do this job.”

 

To purchase Café Juan Ana, click here.

Elizabeth Leighton is a Long-Term Volunteer at the San Lucas Mission who has been living in San Lucas for nine months. She drinks anywhere from 2-6 cups of Café Juan Ana daily.