Rainforest Alliance Nicaragua Santa Rita

Can you believe it’s the last day of September? Where did the month go? With two different camping trips with my kids this month, and trying to play catch-up the other weeks, it was a bit of a whirlwind for me. I am so grateful that I have wonderful and responsible employees who make it possible for me to have a flexible schedule. It is certainly a privilege to own a business where I can be available to my children and work with people who are and who feel like family.

Cousins getting acquainted

I love autumn. I’ve been observing the progress of the local trees, the liquidambars and maples especially. The tops look aflame, with brilliant red that catches the evening sun. It’s slowly moving down the trees, and I keep finding magenta beauties as I walk the kids to and from school. We’re supposed to get our first good rain on Sunday (heads up), and Trace has been busy covering the patio furniture.

Our coffee of the week comes from the Santa Rita estate in Nicaragua. The Hacienda Santa Rita was started by two women in 1998, who saw an abandoned coffee farm and decided to take it on as an entrepreneurial adventure. They are committed to high environmental standards, while at the same time improving the quality of life of their workers. Within ten years, in 2008, they won the Rainforest Alliance Cup of Excellence for Nicaragua (see here).

The owners of the estate, Dania Baltodano and Desiree Pereira, have created a great website to showcase their coffee, and to explain their passion and vision. You can find it in English here. I enjoyed exploring the site, and getting a feel for their commitment to quality in all that they do. You can also see pictures of them, of the farm, and of the wet mill where they process the coffee.

This is high quality, single estate coffee, from a farm with a strong commitment to the ecology around them. They have even set aside 54 hectares of the property as a forest preserve. We have roasted this light and it’s a delicious bean. It tastes of chocolate and plum, with a lingering nutty finish. It has a nice acidity and a medium body. You can try a cup of this coffee on us with the code hello October* this week. Have a great weekend, and head out to the Celtic Festival if you’re looking for something to do. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Rainforest Alliance Nicaragua Santa Rita. Code expires on 10.6.16. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.