Uinta Coffee
Uinta Coffee beans are from our 104 acre sustainable coffee farm, Finca Catalina, located in the highlands of Nicaragua at an elevation of 3000 ft. We operate beyond fair trade, with our workers earning an average 20% higher wages than surrounding farms. We hire six full time workers. During harvest this number grows to about forty for the months October thru February.
Our coffee plants are shade grown Arabica, mostly the Caturra variety. Coffee beans (cherries) are handpicked, wet processed, and sun dried down to 20 to 25% moisture. Great care is taken during the harvest, only picking dark red cherries and separating out green unripe beans prior to pulping the coffee.
We are good stewards of our land and the environment. The water used in our coffee processing is from one of several springs on the farm. The water discharged from processing goes into a manmade holding pond, where solids drop out. This water is then filtered into a natural wetland area growing Mangala, a starchy root vegetable, good in soup and fried to make a potato chip like treat.
Next the coffee beans are transported to the dry mill in Matagalpa, Nicaragua for final drying, parchment removal, bean sizing, and bagging prior to export. (The dry mill process we are looking to begin doing in house next season)
Coffee comes to port in Seattle, WA and is then trucked to a climate-controlled warehouse in Portland, OR. Next it is sent on to our roaster in Salt Lake City, Utah where we roast and bag coffee for selling to local stores and individuals. It is also available at our mobile coffee shop at Salt Lake farmers markets (Pioneer Park Farmers Market and Wheeler Farm Farmers Market) and other local events.
Since purchasing the farm with our partners in 2010 we have planted over 100,000 new coffee plants; 2,500 banana trees; 2,000 black walnut; 2,000 cacao; 300 plus various fruit trees; and more than 300 palm trees. Trees were propagated on the farm or purchased locally. Some trees are for shade and some for food, while others are for beauty and good stewardship.
The location of Finca Catalina is in the Department of Jinotega, one quarter of a mile from the small hamlet called El Escambry, ten miles from La Dallia and 45 miles from Matagalpa. The farm is in the foot hills of Penas Blancas, a protected mountain reserve famous for its waterfalls, white rock faces, and natural beauty.
*For an aerial view of Finca Catalina type in the following into Google maps;
13°14'31.1"N 85°45'52.8"W
FARM MANAGER DINIS, NEXT TO A PRODUCTIVE 5 YEAR OLD COFFEE PLANT
THE CREW HARVESTING "CHERRIES"
RIPE "CHERRIES" COFFEE BEANS
"CHERRIES, RIGHT AFTER THEY WERE PICKED"
MATURE COFFEE PLANTS AND VIEW OF THE SURROUNDING AREA
