Bernabe Calmo Sales

Berbané is a community leader from Cruz Grade village in Santa Barbara, Huehuetenango. He manages his 1.7-hectare farm La Vega del Rio, with his wife, Ovidia Sales, where they have planted Caturra and the Pache Común variety, a natural mutation of Typica found in Guatemala. As a family, they carry out all farm work during the harvest cycle, including shade management, fertilization, picking, processing, and drying, amongst other tasks, to collect and sell their coffee in parchment.

Over 35 years, Berbabé has dedicated his life to growing coffee and other food staples, especially corn and beans. He started by himself, and along the way, he faced challenges because there wasn’t much interest in coffee back then. However, ten years ago, he became more involved in his community and specialty coffee market. He then realized that they could find new buyers and move all coffee produced in the area by working together as a community and group. As the group leader, he has been key to finding new markets and establishing a fruitful relationship with Caravela four harvests ago.

He shares he is happy with the support and higher premiums obtained through growing specialty coffee but thrilled to see all the work done is reflected on each bean and each cup of coffee.