Notes from the atelier.
Century-old coffee roots, the lathe, and the grain that dictates every piece, written from Antigua, Guatemala.
The Bodega and the Patio, Side by Side
Concrete, stakes, string lines, and the first walls. A progress note from the construction site beside the new patio.
The Quiet Before the Harvest
A week of waiting. The preparations are done, the cherries are almost ready, and everyone watches the weather.
The First Ripe Cherries of the Season
A handful of red among the green. The season has begun, quietly.
Late Rains, Soft Light
As the rainy season loosens its grip, the light on the finca changes, and so does the mood.
What the Bodega Will Hold
A new bodega is rising next to the new patio. Here is what we plan to put in it, and what we hope it…
Getting the Finca Ready for Harvest
Before the first basket is filled, there is a long checklist, and most of it is unglamorous.
The Roots So Far: Notes From Late in the Season
Late in the season, a quiet look back at what began with a tractor and a stubborn decision not to light a fire.
The Bodega Gets a Roof
With the roof on, the bodega is a building at last. It keeps the rain out, and it changes how the whole site feels.
August Mist on the Volcano
In the late rainy season, the mornings come with mist wrapped around the volcano, and the finca feels like it is floating.
The Morning Chorus of the Finca
Before the first truck starts and before anyone speaks, the finca is full of birdsong. It is the best alarm clock I know.
Water on the Finca: Spring and Rain
A coffee farm depends on water more than most people realize. Rain feeds the trees, and care in using it protects the harvest.
The Trees That Shade the Coffee
Look at a coffee farm in Guatemala and you will see tall trees standing among the low coffee. They are not an accident.
What You Would See Walking the Finca With Us
Imagine a walk from the gate to the top of the slope. Here is what you would pass, in the order you would pass…
The Canícula: A Dry Spell in the Middle of the Rains
In the middle of the rainy season, the rain sometimes stops for a couple of weeks. Locals call it the canícula.
Volcanic Ash and Farm Life
Living beside an active volcano means occasional ash. It settles on leaves, roofs, and cars, and farmers learn to adjust.
The Farm Dogs and the Tractor Shed
Every farm has a few dogs that belong to no one and everyone. Ours have a favorite spot, and it is the shade beside…
Half a Year of Roots: What We Have Learned
Six months in, a short list of what we have learned about roots, wood, people, and ourselves.
The Rainy Season Begins
By now the rains are no longer a surprise. They arrive each afternoon, and the whole finca arranges its day around them.
The Patio and the Rain
A drying patio is built for the sun. The first rain on it taught us what the slope was really worth.
Mud, Moss, and the Mushroom We Did Not Expect
Wet weather brings surprises. This year, one of them was growing on a root we thought was safely stored.
The Bodega Walls Go Up
Block by block, the bodega is rising. For the first time, you can stand inside the shape of it.
The Three Volcanoes Above the Finca
Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango stand over the valley. Every day on the finca is lived in their shadow.
Earth Day on a Coffee Farm
A farm is always in a conversation with the land. Earth Day is a good excuse to say honestly what we do well, and…
The Patio Takes Shape
One pour becomes many. The patio now has edges, a slope, and the beginnings of a place where coffee will dry.
Planting the New Generation of Coffee Trees
Seedlings from the nursery, holes in the earth, and a crew of people planting trees that will outlive most of them.
First Rains
After months of dust, the first rain arrives like a verdict. The hillside changes color in a day.
Pouring the First Patio Slab
A morning of mixers, wheelbarrows, and one very long straight edge. The new drying patio begins to exist.
Growing Coffee From Seed to First Cherry
A coffee tree starts as a bean in a bag of soil and takes years to give its first harvest. Here is the path…
The Nursery Where the Next Century Starts
Behind the old trees, there is a row of small plants in bags. They are the reason we can feel good about what we…
Coffee Blossom Week: The Farm Smells Like Jasmine
For a few days each year, the whole finca smells like jasmine. Then the flowers are gone, and the work of the next harvest…
Dry Season Diaries
Dust on the road, clear skies, and an unhurried pace. A few notes from the long dry stretch of the year.
Why the Finca Needs a New Bodega
A bodega is a warehouse, and every finca needs one. Ours is overdue, and it has become part of the story.
Drying Patios, and the New Patio We Are Building
After the mill, coffee dries in the sun. We are building a new patio for it, on ground that used to be old coffee…
Volcanic Soil and the Slow Growth Behind Old Roots
The finca sits in the shadow of volcanoes. The soil they made is part of why these roots look the way they do.
January on the Finca: Cold Mornings and Red Cherry
Cold mornings, the first ripe cherry, and a long season ahead. A notebook entry from the heart of the harvest.