Celebrating our Direct Trade Partner, Juan Diego

At Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, we pride ourselves on working with some of the best coffee producers and farms around the world. Many of these partnerships span over a decade, built on trust, shared goals, and a deep commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation. Few relationships reflect this better than the one we’ve cultivated with Juan Diego de la Cerda of Finca El Socorro.

We’ve been proudly sourcing coffee from Juan Diego for 17 years—each harvest offering something remarkable. His farm, Finca El Socorro in Palencia, Guatemala, is a testament to what passion, curiosity, and dedication to sustainability can produce.

A graduate of Earth University in Costa Rica, Juan Diego brings a scientific and ecological approach to coffee farming. His commitment to conservation is evident in his use of innovative wet mills that recycle water and in his efforts to preserve surrounding forests. But his work goes far beyond sustainability—he’s also a driving force behind some of the most celebrated coffees coming out of Guatemala.

Finca El Socorro has been in Juan Diego’s family for generations, but under his leadership, it has become a benchmark for excellence in Guatemalan specialty coffee. Since winning his first Cup of Excellence award in 2007, he has gone on to win 3 more first place wins and 2 times in 2nd place. In fact, Finca El Socorro is a perennial standout in the competition, often finishing in the top five. With 13 total wins! 

The coffees Juan Diego produces are nothing short of exceptional. From his iconic Bourbon, Java, Maracaturra, Pacamara, and Geisha varieties to experimental lots like the rare Purpurasea phenotype—a visually striking variety with deep burgundy cherries and purple-tinted leaves—Juan Diego is always pushing boundaries. He sets aside plots for testing how different varietals perform at various altitudes, reflecting his belief that great coffee starts with curiosity and exploration.

All processing happens on-site at El Socorro, where the challenges of high-altitude drying are met with an impressive array of techniques. Depending on the lot, coffees may be patio dried, shade dried, mechanically dried, or, more recently, dried on raised African beds on a newly built site. These raised beds allow for greater control over airflow and sun exposure, enabling Juan Diego to fine-tune drying times and enhance flavor development.

We’re thrilled to celebrate Juan Diego’s latest recognition: the Legends of Excellence award from the Alliance for Coffee Excellence. This prestigious honor is reserved for producers who have achieved extraordinary success over the years, consistently demonstrating leadership and unmatched quality in their craft.

On a recent visit to El Socorro, our social media manager Emma met Juan Diego for the first time. She described him as “fun, witty, and sarcastic in the best way,” and was moved by the warmth and history that surrounded the farm. “The drive wound through lively, colorful towns buzzing with traffic and motorcycles, and as we approached El Socorro—down a dirt road through the deep forest and mountains—we were surrounded by beauty. Diego told me they were only halfway through the harvest. His father first planted coffee here in the 1980s, and now the farm is home to cattle, bee boxes, and hydrangeas. He’s especially excited about expanding his bees this year.”

For us, Juan Diego’s story is not just one of coffee excellence—it’s a story of partnership, progress, and pride. Every bag we’ve brought in from El Socorro over the last 15 years has carried a piece of that story, and we’re honored to share it with you.

Look for coffees from Finca El Socorro in our cafes and online later this year—we can’t wait for you to taste the legacy.