Caoba Farms was founded in 2004 by Alex Kronick. At the time the farm was purchased, it was a total of three acres and used to grow coffee and roses. Now, Caoba Farm consists of two fully operational farms which total forty-five acres and produces over one-hundred organic crops commercially, which supplies many of the top hotels and restaurants in Antigua and Guatemala City with fresh, organic produce.
Ever since the beginning, Caoba Farm’s overall goal has been to leave a green footprint. To achieve this goal, the farm harvests its own seeds, uses rainwater collection systems, and has specifically designed food forests surrounding the farm, which are self-sustaining and either harvested or are made to “grow wild.” They have a variety of animals on the farm, including rabbits, different kinds of fowl, pigs, lambs, and goats; which provide the farm with manure to fertilize the plants.
Caoba Farm offers a variety of activities, which includes volunteering, yoga classes, and tours. The farm accepts volunteering services from Tuesday through Friday at 9 AM, and as a volunteer, you will be asked to provide at least three hours of your time. While volunteering, you may find yourself weeding the gardens, harvesting seeds, turning compost, planting seeds, filling bags with soil, cleaning the animal yards, and much more! In exchange for your hard work, you are given a bag of fresh, organic vegetables from the farm.
When going on tours, a bilingual guide will show you around the farm and provide you with knowledge of the plants and livestock, and will teach you important farming techniques such as different ways to create and use compost. On Saturdays, you can find yourself surrounded by live music at their farmers market. The farmers market provides a large selection of different vendors! The farm also has a restaurant, known as Cacoba Café. You can find a variety of delicious foods and drinks from Tuesday through Sunday and take home some organic products from local producers in their shop at the front.