Finca Agrovia

WWOOFing @ Finca Argovia

Phone: 52-962-626-6115 | Email: info@argovia.com.mx | Web: www.argovia.com.mx
Tapachula Admin Office Address: 21 Priv. Oriente, No. 70 Col. Centro, Tapachula, Chiapas


We are a certified Rain Forest Alliance and Organic coffee plantation situated in the district of Soconusco, in the State of Chiapas.

Originally owned by a Swiss Family, which emigrated from Argau, for which the plantation received its name, around 1880, and then acquired by Adolf Giesemann in the late Nineteenth Century, and to this date managed by the fourth generation of coffee growers.

The objective of the plantation is always targeted on high quality and long term decisions, using techniques that not only preserve the ecosystem, but truly enhance the qualities of our coffee, which actually is the main crop with an average production of 1000 bags per year, and a strong diversification process with ornamentals (tropical flowers and foliages), ecotourism, fruit trees and forestry. The main grown varieties of coffee are caturra, catuai and packas, all under the roof of inga shadow trees and a large amount of tropical trees, in addition to an extensive diversity of ground cover plants for soil protection.

It manages an environmentally friendly wet and dry mill, in conjunction with a water treatment plant, the first of its kind operating in Mexico, providing extra material, enriching the vermin-compost used for nutrition.
The plantation has traditionally received students worldwide through agreements with Universities, providing space and opportunities for diverse studies.

We are now interested in a more interactive experience in diverse exercises as construction, health, tourism, organic agriculture and transformation, all under sustainable management.

If you have any interest in learning about resort administration, organic environmentally sustainable business and/or living, coffee farming/processing, flower farming/processing and learning/improving your Spanish then Finca Argovia may be the right place for you to WWOOF it.

Please take the time to review the important information on the next page and submit any questions you may have to the email address above or through the Finca Argovia portal on the WWOOF Mexico website.

We look forward to sharing this experience with you.

Bruno Giesemann, Owner


WWOOFing @ Finca Argovia – Important Information

We will need a legal identification of the interested Wwoofer, as well as basic information, as age, gender, education, health status, Marital status, etc. ( As much info as you can give us)

Making Your Decision to WWOOF it with us (Opportunities)*:

Administrative/In Resort (having intermediate to full fluency in Spanish helps if you want to assist in the resort.)
Front Desk – receive and process guest registration, process tour payments notify tour guides, show them to their cabana, guide guests to the restaurant, give guests an overview of the property and offerings.
Tour Guide – learn the ins and outs of the various tours and provide tours to guests. At times act as a English translator if it is needed on a tour.
Farm/Coffee – harvest and assist in processing coffee making it ready to ship. Depending on the season
Farm/Flowers – maintain, harvest and assist in processing flowers making them ready to ship.
Village Elementry School – assist in the daily school activities as needed by the teacher.
Blended Option – Assist in various areas throughout your stay.
Other Options – Assist on construction, transformation, design, or offer your skills.
*Please email/contact Finca Argovia if any of these opportunities interest you. Provide your experience and desired work while you are here. Someone from the resort will contact you to confirm an opening for you.
Before You Travel (Preparation) – Do this at least 2 to 4 weeks ahead of your travel time.
Health/Immunizations – Check with your physician to determine if you need any immunizations or need to take any precautions when traveling to Chiapas Mexico.
Mosquitos – Be sure to bring repellant. Avoid being outside during dawn and dusk hours and wear lighter colored clothing when it is reasonable and possible.
Weather/Climate – Check out the weather channel website to find out the average weather conditions in temperature and humidity during your estimated travel time so that you can prepare accordingly. Be sure to bring sunblock at all times of the year.
Clothing – Prepare clothing in coordination with the weather. Be sure to have waterproof shoes and other rain protection clothing when traveling during the rainy season. Clothing that covers your extremities can help protect from mosquitos but you may also want some shorts and short sleeve shorts for the hotter weather. If you plan to work in the field then longer sleeves and pant legs are preferred. A wide brimmed hat and other sun protection clothing is a good idea as well.
Financial – Traveller’s checks and ATM cards will not do you much good here in the mountains. The closest banks and ATM machines are in Tapachula (about 45 min away by car). Although your meals and lodging are provided you may want to have some pesos on hand to buy gifts for friends or a bag of our coffee to take with you. You may also want to treat yourself to a world class dinner at our Tierra De Café restaurant or buy an evening drink to relax. Regardless you may want to keep some cash on hand. The staff will be happy to lock it up in the office until you need it so that you do not have to fear misplacing it or losing it.

Traveling to Finca Argovia: (Be sure to notify the resort of your expected arrival time and date in Tapachula ahead of time.)
Resort Transport or Taxi – Find your way to the city of Tapachula whether by car or airplane. The staff of Finca Argovia will inform you of where and when to meet the transport that will bring you to the resort. If you miss the regular transport then you may take a taxi but try to take the taxi during daylight hours. The resort operations close around 7 or 8pm each night and it will be difficult to arrive any later than 6pm. If you find that you will get in too late, arrange to stay in Tapachula for the night and come the next day by the regular transport. If you do take a taxi it should not cost you anymore than 300 to 350 pesos from Tapachula to Finca Argovia.

The Staff of Finca Argovia:
Bruno - Owner
Andrea – Adminstrative Staff
Jorge – Adminstrative Staff
Adela – Tour Guide
Arturo - Chief Chef for the restaurant
Others – You will be introduced to other staff that relate to the work you have chosen to do.

Lodging:
WWOOFers are lodged in our cottage at the base of the village in a multiple room home with beds, and basic furnishings, lighting, ceiling fans, electrical outlet, a bathroom with a sink, shower and toilet and running water. The home does not have any cooking or food storage equipment at this time.

Meals:
Meals are provided by Finca Argovia, usually by a local family preparation. The standard diet of the locals usually includes meat so you may find it a bit challenging if you are vegetarian or vegan. Meals are typically served at 9am, 2pm and 8pm but times can vary greatly as is typical for the local culture. If eating at certain times or having certain kinds of foods is important to you, please bring this up when you contact the resort as you determine if you will visit. You may want to bring some of your own sealed foods as a back up when necessary.

Hydration/Water:
Although it is typically humid in this area of Mexico, your body will still dehydrate if you do not take in enough water. Be sure to bring a reusable water bottle with you. The staff of the resort will be happy to refill it for you whenever needed with sterile bottled water (not from the tap).

Going in to Tapachula during your stay:
If you need to head in to Tapachula on any given day to obtain anything or just simple take a break, please let the resort staff know the day before so they can arrange for you to ride in with the daily transport.

Laundry:
If you are going to be staying at Finca Argovia for over a week, we can arrange to provide you access to local laundry so that you can wash your dirty clothing. Just mention your need to the staff.

Outside Communications (phone/text/email/internet):
Communication services are highly limited here in the mountains. You may want to purchase a disposable phone that gets cell service through IUSACEL, which is the only cell provider that works in this area. The resort has satellite internet service but it can be easily disrupted by clouds and has very limited range and bandwidth. It will only be useful for checking email once or twice a day when you are nearby the restaurant.
The office does have a phone that they will allow you to use but you must pay for the cost of the call, which can add up quite quickly depending on where you call. It is recommended that you have alternate means of communication if you feel you will need it.