Miraflor Cooperativa

Nature lovers are constantly amazed by the Miraflor Nature Reserve. More than 200 different orchid species alone grow there. The diversity is greater in almost no other place in the world. Many other plant and animal species can also be discovered in the approximately 250 km² area. Due to the varying altitudes, the nature reserve spans three different climate zones. Nestled within this environment are the plots of land belonging to the 15 farmers of our community-supported agriculture (CSA) project. They cultivate exclusively organic coffee in mixed cropping systems at an average altitude of 1250 meters. These include Arabica varieties such as Caturra, Típica, Catuaí, and Pacamara.

When farmers experience a poor harvest due to adverse weather conditions or pest infestations, their income is lower. The risk lies solely with them. The concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) offers an alternative: Farmers join forces with fixed buyers and no longer sell their harvest at the end of the year for a fixed price per kilogram. Instead, they receive regular payments that cover their living expenses and coffee production. In return, the buyers receive the entire coffee harvest. Producers can therefore count on a fixed income – and deliver slightly more or less coffee to the buyers depending on the harvest year.

Producer families: Francisco Gutierrez, Marivel Gonzalez, Bertilda Vilchez, Reyna Luz Alanis, Virginia Gutierrez, Favian Vilchez, Santos Ismael Hernandez, Matilde Mendoza, Gustavo Galeano, Maria Moreno, Clara Imelda Gutierrez, Edwin Gonzalez, Harving Hernandez, Luis Manuel Rojas, Jose Ventura Mendoza

Two hours or about 100 km northwest of Nicaragua's capital, Managua, lies Miraflor, in the Jinotega Department. Miraflor is a 206-square-kilometer national reserve. The Miraflor reserve is managed cooperatively and financed almost entirely by associations of small producers. A cooperative of over a dozen small farmers' cooperatives is involved in community health and education, organic farming and crop diversification, and cooperative organic coffee production. Nine communities cultivate the land within the reserve, and the coffee is grown in the high mountains above 1200 meters, in a region whose climatic conditions are ideal for coffee cultivation.

Careful cultivation and processing result in the delicate, high-quality coffee we strive for. Because Miraflor's farmers have their own processing facilities/mills within the region, they can carry out the traditional pulping and fermentation of the coffee cherries on-site immediately after harvesting. This is crucial for maintaining quality. After drying, the parchment beans acquire the yellow-golden color typical of the region (oreada). The farmers then transport the coffee to Estelí, where the parchment beans are hulled, sorted, sifted, and packed into bags ready for export. From there, the coffee travels to our partner roasters in Europe, where it is roasted according to the desired recipe. With proper preparation, we hope that the coffee will then reveal its true essence in the cup: pure nature – pure enjoyment.