Source Analysis by Chris Kornman & Mayra Orellana-Powell
"La agricultura se basa en la relación simbiótica entre el hombre y la naturaleza; como empresarios agrícolas debemos estar conscientes que todos los elementos de la naturaleza y el hombre sean respetados por su contribución y energía."
"Agriculture is based on a symbiotic relationship between humans and the natural world; as agricultural entrepreneurs, we must ensure that all elements of nature and people are respected for their contributions and energy."
This quote serves as the guiding principle for Finca Los Caballitos (literally, “Little Horses” but also the word for a carousel). It is attributed to the father of Oscar Schaps, the farm’s owner since 2005. Oscar and his wife Ana Cristina have since acquired and manage Finca Santa Paula (also in Guatemala, in Cobán) as well as taking over Oscar’s great-grandmother’s farm Finca Patagonia, and nearby Finca Los Naranjitos (in Concepción de Ataco in Auachapan, El Salvador).
Oscar’s relationship with us goes back over 30 years. Royal Coffee cofounder Bob Fulmer recalls Oscar’s father’s farm in San Marcos fondly. Oscar’s initial relationship with Royal was as a commodities trader. “He has taught us a lot over the years,” Bob told me.
The Gesha project on Caballitos is just a few years old, and exclusive to the highest portions of the farm, at approximately 1550 masl. At 212 hectares total, just a little under 16 hectares are planted with these delicate trees. Though the majority of the farm is dedicated to coffee, most is Caturra and Bourbon.
Los Caballitos is located in the municipality of San Gaspar Chajul within the department of Quiche, Guatemala. This growing region, which includes the towns of Santa Maria Nebaj, San Juan Cotzal, and San Gaspar Chajul, is also called the Ixil Triangle because of the beautiful landscapes and the preservation of the indigenous culture. Revenue from coffee sales at the farm supports local schools and churches as well as local road infrastructure.
For this Gesha harvest, a great deal of care is dedicated to understanding optimum ripeness before picking. Finca Los Caballitos hand picks cherries using brix measurements (18-19 degrees) to ensure maximum sugar concentration in the coffee fruit. After harvesting, the cherries are transported to Caballitos's own wet mill, which allows for meticulous quality control while processing the harvest.
The Gesha cherries are floated to separate out damaged and less dense beans, and then depulped. The depulped coffee seeds are fermented in tanks for up to 36 hours and washed. All water used during the process is harvested rainwater.
Washed parchment is placed on mechanically dried in horizontal dryers called guardiolas. Furnaces burn wood harvested from shade management practices from the farm to heat the guardiolas up to approximately 40C (104F) for eight hours of pre-drying, bringing the coffee down to about 30 percent moisture content.
The coffee parchment is then moved to elevated tables inside greenhouses (solar dryers) that provide protection from the rain. The parchment is turned constantly while it dries in the greenhouse, a process that typically takes twenty days, bringing the beans down to 10.5 percent moisture. The coffee then rests in parchment for another thirty days before it is transported to Antigua where it is stored and milled for export.
| Grower: | Oscar & Ana Cristina Schaps | Finca Los Caballitos | Process: | Low Intervention, Washed. Dried in Greenhouse after mechanical pre-drying. |
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| Region: | Chajul, Quiché, Guatemala | Cultivar(s): | Gesha |
| Elevation: | 1550 masl | Harvest: | November 2025 – May 2026 |
