Nicaragua - Santa Maria - Forge Coffee

One of seven farms in the Matagalpa and Jinotega region, Santa Maria forms part of the Grupo Las Nubes. It’s location within La Reserva El Arenal means that coffee plants at santa maria grow in the shade of the forest. The Robelo family lost the farm during a conflict during which they were forced off their land. Victor Robelo, a third generation coffee farmer, regained ownership of his father’s coffee farm back in 2011. Under his ownership Santa Maria has more than doubled in size to thirty-five hectares since 2017. The farm has since produced coffee that won the ACE Cup of Excellence award in 2017.

All coffee produced on Santa Maria are washed and fermented at the farm before being sent to the Las Nubes dry mill. This ensures quality and uniformity between all members of the group. This particular coffee is then dried for 10 days on shaded raised beds.
The ripe cherries are handpicked on the farm, before being pulped washed and fermented. Once dried, it is rested in bags before cleaning, milling, and grading.