So keeping the introductions going here is Nicaragua Santa Maura Pacamara

Santa Maura is located in the northern-central part of Nicaragua, in the mountainous area where the Dariense and Isabelia mountain ranges meet. The average altitude on the farm is 1,150m with average annual rainfall of 1,800mm over the months of May to January. Temperatures vary between 10oC to 28oC, depending on the season. Santa Maura is set within the ‘Reserva Natural Datanlí-El Diabolo’ nature reserve and covers an area of 630 hectares of which 280 hectares are planted under coffee. The farm cultivates 4 varietals of Maracatú, Caturra, Borbón, Catuaí as well as Maracatú that we have stocked in the past.

The family has managed the farm for over 80 years now and Santa Maura employs between 250 and 1,100 people, depending on the season. The highest number is during harvest. The farm provides the workers with schooling for the children and medical services for their families. Aside from the social security which is required by law, electricity, water, food and lodging are also provided. Santa Maura also runs a baseball team for the children in the neighbourhood on one condition – that they have kept up to date with their school attendance! The farm and the people living on it are very concerned about the environment and an area equal to the entire coffee producing land is also preserved as virgin forest. The forest, its fauna and flora are protected and continuously studied by the Environmental Science Department of the Central American University (UCA), which has an experimental station at the very heart of the farm.

In addition, the farm also produces its own energy from an environmentally-friendly hydraulic turbine, thus avoiding the pollution caused by the use of fossil fuels. Much of the fertiliser used to nourish the coffee plants is produced by a worm farm where discarded coffee pulp is broken down over a period of several weeks before being returned to the land. The parchment from the dry milling of the coffee is also recycled and is used to provide fuel for the ovens in the main kitchen.

The proud motto of the farm is “Taste the fruits of our labours”.

In the cup, I get lots of amazing pineapple, like big time, along with summer fruits and a big dollop of cream on the end makes it into a delicious cup of brewed coffee. A little bright for my taste buds in espresso, but does cut through milk for capas and lattes, and as I found out a delicious macchiato. It just needs a little milk in espresso to calm it down.

Farm: Finca Santa Maura

Varietal: Maracatú

Processing: Fully Washed and Sun Dried on patio

Altitude: 1,150 metres

Owner: Jorge Armando Chávez

Region: Jinotega

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