No6 - Decaf Zelaya

Finca Carrizal has a very special place in Ricardo Zelaya's heart as it was his first ever farm. In 1986, at just 21 years old he bought his own piece of land right next to his family's farm. He purchased it with a 45-year-old partner that used to be a good friend of his father, little did they know they became great friends as well! Ricardo learned a great deal from his partner and vice versa. In this farm he was able to experiment first hand with everything he had learned in his studies, from agronomic practices, to building his first wet mill. Still today, this is the farm where all the nurseries come from to supply the other farms he manages and owns. With rain almost 8 months of the year and amazing soil, the baby plants can grow strong and adapt when transported to other farms to be planted. This farm is the most difficult one to work with, it's located in the Northwest part of Guatemala and takes a challenging 6-9 hours drive to get there. Socially, the farm maintains a primary school of 97 children and includes a computer lab for the youth of the surrounding area.