Ivan Ovalle, the proprietor of Finca El Peñón in La Democracia, Huehuetenango, is deeply committed to producing premium, environmentally sustainable coffees. With an engineering background, Ovalle leverages his expertise to enhance water efficiency on the 75-hectare farm. 
 
He emphasises meticulous harvesting, ensuring only the ripest cherries with optimal sugar content are picked. A portion of the land, 15 hectares, is dedicated to forest reserves, while the remaining 60 hectares are cultivated with Caturra, Pache, and Bourbon varieties.
 
Ovalle trains his workers rigorously to select only the ripest, red cherries at precisely the right moment, employing Brix degree analyses to determine the ideal picking time. Finca El Peñón priorities environmental conservation, with ongoing efforts to reduce water consumption and collaboration with certification programs to enhance environmental and social practices.
 
Following harvest, cherries undergo a 120-hour anaerobic fermentation in GrainPro bags, fostering unique flavor profiles through microbial interactions in an oxygen-free environment. The fermented cherries are then dried on raised beds under shade, meticulously raked to ensure uniform drying over a period of 12 to 15 days. Once dried, the cherries are stored on the farm for 30 to 45 days before transportation to Quetzal's dry mill in Escuintla, where Ovalle receives technical and financial support.