San Jose Natural Caturra, Nicaragua

San Jose Natural Caturra is produced by the Mierisch Family on their 46 hectare farm located in the mountains of Jinotega in Nicaragua. Here at 1250masl to 1400masl, an unusually high altitude for growing coffee in Nicaragua, an extremely diverse assortment of varietals are grown --Javanica, Yellow Pacamara, Gesha, Catuai, Yellow Pacas, and this Caturra.

Over three generations, the Mierisch Family have become experts at growing and processing award-winning coffees (they're farms of have one the coveted "Cup of Excellence" numerous times), they are also very active in social and environmental projects to improve the quality of life for the hundreds of workers they employ, local community and ecosystem. If any one producer could single handedly demonstrate just how significantly coffee can positively impact society it'd have to be the Mierisch Family.

A few examples of the extremely generous benefits they offer to their employees include wages 30% higher than the national average, free day-care centres and schooling for children, family planning assistance, free healthcare, even three meals per day cooked fresh by an on-site kitchen staff. They have their hydroelectric system supplying energy to the farms and invested in their own water reservoir at the mill, from which excess water is filtered before being reentered into the soil. This also contributes to the claylike consistency that, combined with naturally occurring nitrogen and minerals, makes it easier for them to work within organic guidelines.