Finca Atzumpa is located in Concepción de Ataco in the department of Ahuachapan in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountain range and coffee region of the same name. Farmers in Ahuachapan were the first to grow coffee in El Salvador with seeds brought from Guatemala in the last years of the 1700’s; production then began in earnest in the 1800’s.
Atzumpa is currently owned by the fifth generation of coffee producers of the Ariz-Herrera family, making it one of the first farms in the Concepción de Ataco region to grow specialty coffee beginning in 1875. The family has been bringing sustainability, social responsibility, and employment to the communities around the farm for over 100 years. The Ariz-Herrera family is one of five local families who created FUNDATACO in 1991, a foundation that helps children from the region join soccer schools and pursue athletic opportunities and scholarships.
Coffee from Atzumpa is partially processed at Germania, the small mill within the farm, which has depulpers, washing equipment, and drying facilities. Atzumpa pulps the freshly harvested cherries without water to retain all of the mucilage, then dries them on raised beds for up to 14 days to reach optimal conditions. Once dried, the coffee is stored at the El Carmens warehouse, where Finca Atzumpa coffee is dry milled and prepped for export.
Some coffees are also dried on the clay patio at El Carmens. Coffee dries faster on this hot surface, with Honey process coffees taking up to 14 days to dry here as well, before being transferred to warehouse storage for the reposo resting period.
Finca Atzumpa has won much recognition for the quality of their coffees, including top placement in the El Salvador Cup of Excellence in 2018 and 2019. Their passion for providing excellent coffees drives them to innovate and develop great coffees as well as sustainability with their community.