La Estrella, Nicaragua

In 2013-2014 crop our importer (Caravela) set up a team of 5 PECA agronomists who provided producers with on-the-ground advisory services, educating them on best harvesting and post-harvesting practices to produce high-quality coffee. This way, Caravela inaugurated 2014 a 5,000 m2 facility equipped with one-level shaded raised beds to dry the wet parchment coffee delivered to us by the producers. Initially, we started with 60 coffee producers from Nueva Segovia who trusted our model to improve the quality that Nicaragua already had but needed better growing and processing practices.

Fast forward to 2023, the facility has been expanded and upgraded to three-level shaded raised beds of 14,400 m2. Over 25+ permanent and 100+ seasonal staff maintain and directly oversee the dry mill's drying process, quality assurance, and more. The controlled drying process ensures stabili- ty and shelf life for coffee processed there. In addition, the coffee mill is fully equipped with two in-house cupping labs and milling machinery to hull all coffee exported.

Today, Caravela has a solid producers supply chain of different scales, from small to large, who are highly committed to producing sustainable, high-quality coffee of different varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, Pacas, Catimor, Marsellesa, and the well-know Maragogype and Maracturra. La Estrella blend is primarily composed of Caturra and Catuai varieties. As a result, the producers behind the La Estrella can allocate much of their lots to this blend while accessing higher prices, financing, and recognition for what they do best: produce high-quality coffee.