1. Farm name: San Antonio
2. Owner: María Felicitas Mairena de Günkel. The Günkel Mairena family has been growing coffee on the San Antonio farm for 46 years.
3. Production area; region, department, municipality:
El Arenal Natural Reserve, Isabelia Mountain Range, Matagalpa, Nicaragua
Georeference: 13.000490, -85.879432
4. Production area: 79 acres
5. Average altitude: 1,100 meters above sea level.
6. Social and environmental projects or activities in progress towards the community or its workers:
The farm's coffee is produced under shade with agroforestry systems and with good agricultural practices under the standards of the Rain Forest Alliance and C.A.F.E. certifications. Practices.
45% of the farm area is a forest reserve area that is located in the El Arenal Natural Reserve, which is one of the few cloud forest reserve areas in Nicaragua. In this mist mountain area, several water sources arise, which are protected and supplemented with drinking water to the community of Las Escaleras in Yasica Norte. Water production in the mountain area of the farms is abundant and feeds the Yasica River basin.
The forest area of the farm is an important habitat and refuge for the flora and fauna of the area. The animals that have been seen are black panther, jaguars, deer, peccaries, coatis, agoutis and birds such as the bell bird, quetzal and goldfinches. The presence and importance of fauna on the farms is reflected in the logo of San Antonio, a Bell Bird that is in danger of extinction.
In San Antonio, a small school was built for young children from both farms who have not yet entered primary school, which has been used for adult education and as a recreation area.
7. Other relevant information:
The San Antonio farm was declared a Private Wildlife Reserve in 2001 and is part of the Central American Biological Corridor due to the management of its owners to contribute to the preservation of natural resources. The farms that are private wildlife reserves are managed with standards of good agricultural and environmental practices. San Antonio was the largest farm with organic production in Nicaragua from 2001 to 2009. Organic production was stopped, since the organic market did not pay a fair differential to compensate for the high costs that organic production entails.
8. Varieties and Processes
The coffee varieties are: Caturra, Castilla, Colombia, Marsellesa, Obata, Parainema, Java, Arara, Maragogype and Sarchimor. The processes that occur on the farm are Washed, Natural, Honey, Anaerobic (washed, natural and honey), Carbonic Maceration (washed, natural, honey) and Green Cherries under anaerobic fermentation.
Finalist in the 2021 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence with a lot of Obata Natural.
