Santa Martha Coffee Estate. Jinotega, Nicaragua.

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About Us

Santa Martha Estate is a coffee farm located in the Department of Jinotega, in Nicaragua, with an extension of 314 hectares. It was built by Dr. Juan Alvaro Munguía and family.

It has a shade grown coffee plantation, pristine creeks and forests that are protected to preserve the local fauna and flora, a state of the art wet mill, as well as the necessary support infrastructure for the Estate’s workers and the coffee production process.

Since the beginning, the farm was developed with the purpose of preserving the environment, flora and fauna, building accepted social conditions for the workers and with the mission of quality, sustainability and commitment.

In 2004, Santa Martha Estate became Rainforest Alliance certified, and has obtained the re-certification each following year. The Estate now has Café Practices from Starbucks and UTZ certifications.

Farm Maintenance

Every year, after the coffee picking is over, the maintenance program begins. The program is made on the basis of Good Agricultural Practices and it includes all activities, from the pruning program to foliar applications, coffee nursery and wet mill maintenance. For example, weeds and unwanted plants are removed using “machetes”; fungicides are applied using specialized equipment and trained personnel; fertilizers are applied by hand with individual formulas for each coffee lot. The Estate follows all the rules and guidelines set by Rainforest Alliance to ensure sustainable agriculture. The coffee plantation is managed on a selective pruning program to maintain a consistent production volume. Rational use of inputs and hand labor minimizes the environmental impact and maintains the ecosystem of the farm.

Fact Sheet

Estate’s Location
Comarca el Guapinol, Municipio Pantasma,
52 Km North of Jinotega, Department of
Jinotega, Nicaragua, Central América.

Altitude
800 to 1,100 Meters A.S.L.

Estate’s Extension
314 hectares of which 283 hectares are planted with coffee
31 hectares of creeks and woods.

Annual Production Capacity
12,000 bags of 46 kg bag.

Reforestation
Permanent reforestation program of different wood trees, including walnut, cypress and oak.

Our Commitment

At Santa Martha we are committed in maintaining sustainable development coffee; protecting and strengthening the environment; as well as giving special attention to our employees’ dignity. This guarantees optimum quality and production levels necessary to compete in international markets.

Sustainability and Quality

Santa Martha’s coffee is 100% Arabica and comes from two varieties: Caturra and Catuai. During crop season, only the red cherries are picked, since the best tasting cup is made up of the ripest coffee cherries.

This special and high quality coffee is depulped, fermented and fully washed on a daily basis in the Estate’s own wet mill and transported immediately to the dry mill. The coffee is 100% sun dried, and then the parchment coffee is stored in jute bags for at least 30 days in a controlled environment in order for the coffee to rest and set the quality. Santa Martha’s coffee has a clean cup, full body and aroma, medium to high acidity and liquor. The cup has a sweet and floral flavor with thick consistency, creamy and chocolate character.

Social Environment

At Finca Santa Martha, provide housing for our workers, education for their children and religion to the whole family is essential. We provide housing for workers and their families with all necessary facilities. Being education a priority, a school was built in the Estate that is open to all employee’s children, as well as children from neighboring farms and adults who want to learn to read and write.

A chapel was also built and dedicated to Saint Martha, and fits up to 700 people. It is used for masses on Christmas, New Year, Saint Martha’s day etc., but also provides an opportunity for the employees and the whole community to have a catholic marriage, have their children baptized, and other events.

Environment and wild life

All of Santa Martha’s coffee is grown under shade trees, which provides a refuge for migrating and local birds as well as other wildlife. There is an area of the farm that has been left untouched thus exist remainders of primary forest that has been left unharmed. Every year, special care is taken replanting different trees varieties throughout the farm, which are typical to the region.

Coffee Nursery

In 2008, the Estate changed its nursery system to the ultimate technology, and replaced the plastic bag with the Jiffy Pellet, which is a safe and biodegradable medium that is environmentally friendly and a cost effective rooting media. The Pellet guarantees no roots deformation, self root pruning and enhances better and faster root development.