Nicaraguan
El Jaguar Organic Coffee El
Jaguar is a family run farm, owned by Georges and Lili Duriaux
Chavarría. El
Jaguar is located atop the Isabelia Mountain Range, Nicaragua’s
finest coffee growing area, in the Province of Jinotega. The farm
is 1350 m (4430 ft) above sea level in a tropical cloud forest.
This microclimate provides a long cool growing season for the
coffee, ideal for producing intense flavour characteristics in
the cup. George follows traditional wet-milling techniques to process the coffee in his ecologically friendly beneficio (wet mill). No water is used to ferment the beans after the cherry pulp has been removed in a small gravity-fed depulping machine. The flavours are rich with cognac-like sweetness and depth; well balanced with crisp, clean acidity and hints of cocoa and hazelnut. El Jaguar is the first coffee selected by Whole Foods Market to receive the Authentic Food Artisan seal. George and Lili Duriaux-Chavarria are artisan producers, passionate about the fine organic coffee they produce; the environment in which it is grown; and the livelihoods of the people who help them sustain both. See the full article
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The annual rainfall is 2050 mm, and the temperature varies from 46°F to 90°F (8°C to 32°C). This microclimate is ideal for producing the intense flavour characteristic of the cup. Harmony with nature and biodiversity: Because we don’t use any agrochemical inputs, our coffee plantations occur in complete harmony with nature. Land distribution: From the 199 acres that conform our farm we have kept 70 acres as preserved forest, and 60 more as managed woods for a total 130 acres of cloud forest. Interwoven into them are 13 coffee parcels that measure 34 acres. The other 35 acres are grassland that would permit us to plant more coffee without affecting the forest. Microclimate: The cloud forest has a humid subtropical climate plentiful of moisture throughout the year, most of it derived from low clouds or fogs which envelop the forest. Producing organic is not only good for the environment, but also for the community because it needs more labour force than intensive traditional coffee production, mainly for weeds control and compost making. As a result, we have 15 fix jobs the whole year round and 20 more during the harvest time. (After the fall of the international stock market coffee prices, many coffee plantations have been abandoned in Nicaragua. Consequently, there is a high unemployment rate, specially in the traditional coffee production areas. Therefore, even if we pay salaries slightly higher than in the nearby farms, giving jobs to more people, is our main contribution to the labour and social stability of the community). Community involvement: Our coffee production is a small one, therefore, the quantity of people working in the farm is not too big, nevertheless, we have a very close relationship with the farm workers and their families. We try to encourage them to learn and to improve their standard of living. People working and living in the farm have already changed their point of view about the environment. They are involved in the research activities carried out in El Jaguar learning a lot about the importance of nature preservation.
It is marvellous to see the change in the children that before
didn’t like to go to school, but nowadays they not only
love it, but are also very interested in learning. They even want
to learn English in order to understand the “Birds guides”
and the tourists that visit El Jaguar. As part of the big family
from El Jaguar the children receive notebooks, pencils and books
at the beginning of the school year. Near El Jaguar there are
3 schools and a Health Centre in a 4 miles radius. |
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We love coffee. More specifically, we love great coffee. Just like you do. In fact, we’re quite passionate about it. Which is why we formed this company—because we believe every cup of coffee should be exceptional.
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