Meet Dania Baltodano & Desiree Pereira, from Jinotega, Nicaragua, Coffee Farmers

Read Dania & Desiree's Story:

In 1998, two women (Dania Baltodano and Desiree Pereira) came across a once a thriving coffee plantation in mountains of Jinotega. During the Nicaragua Civil War 1979-1989 the land was abandoned and deforested, due to a majority of the battles taking place in Northern mountain regions of the country. Despite the great challenges facing them, Dania and Desiree (both of whom are Fourth Generation in the coffee industry) decided to take the gamble and start a new coffee farm.

With constant hard work, dedication, and the most advanced ecological techniques available, Dania and Desiree were able to turn this desolate area into the beautiful Santa Rita plantation. Now, Santa Rita is not only flourishing with wildlife (sloths, deer, and various birds such as the oropendola), it also produces some of the best specialty grade coffee we’ve come across and holds four vital earth-friendly certifications. Best of all, it is women owned.

Technical Information

Altitude: 1,100 – 1,250 masl
Annual Rainfall: 2,500 – 2,800 mm
Average Temperature: 21-23°C
Soil Type: Clay loam
Main Flowering Season: April-May
Main Harvest Season: November-February
Varietals: Caturra, Catuai, Maragogype, Java

Farm Breakdown

Total Land Area: 269 hectares (664 acres)
Coffee Plantation: 165 hectares (407 acres) 61%
Bio-Reserve: 71 hectares (175 acres) 27%
Additional Land: 26 hectares (64 acres) 10%
Building Structures and Roads: 7 hectares (17 acres) 2%

Certifications

Rainforest Alliance (RFA) - 2007-current
Score: 93.8%
UTZ Certified - 2007-current
Score: 100%
C.A.F.E. Practices - 2005-current
Score: 103%

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Santa Rita's Mission:

To produce the highest quality coffee in a holistic manner, led by women: we grow, process and commercialize green coffee with environmentally friendly practices that are financially and economically sustainable, while also working to improve the quality of life of our employees. In doing so we guarantee the ecological balance of our environment, resource efficiency, and socioeconomic development of our community.

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See our visit to Nicaragua: