We’re proud of each and every varietal of coffee we offer here at Jittery Joe’s and the positive impact they have on our community, but our new Selva Negra Estate Direct Trade Coffee is unique for the similar impact it has on a community almost 1,500 miles away. It’s a Nicaraguan coffee cultivated in the most ecological, environmentally and socially conscious way possible, with a rich taste and fascinating history.
What is Direct Trade?
In the typical coffee market are middlemen, additional agents in the transfer between the grower and the roaster. When roasters deal directly with coffee growers to establish a fair price, these middlemen are removed, resulting in a better livelihood for the grower. We’ve established an ethical and fair direct trade relationship with the Selva Negra Estate so that we can micro-roast and offer their coffee to you.
The Estate
Located in the Matagalpa region of Nicaragua, the history of the Selva Negra (“Black Forest”) Estate closely parallels that of the Nicaraguan coffee industry itself. In the late 19th century, hoping to induce coffee-growing in the northern highlands, the Nicaraguan government invited young German immigrants to settle in the area. The young immigrants who accepted this offer would form the main coffee plantations of the country. Located almost 5,000 ft. above sea level, Selva Negra has been producing fine old-style Arabica coffee for over one hundred years, and the farm’s current proprietors are descendants of two of the region’s first German immigrants. The Estate’s employees are treated like family, with full benefits including housing, childcare, schooling, an onsite clinic and convenience store, and fair and respectable wages.
The Coffee
Selva Negra’s crops grow in nutrient-rich volcanic soil and under the shade and protection of centennial indigenous trees, which slows the maturation process in order to produce dense, flavorful beans. The beans are also grown on a large percentage of Bourbon and Typica coffee trees that produce higher-quality beans than other varieties of trees. Once the beans are grown and ready for production, the coffee is prepared with an environmentally-friendly washing process that uses forty times less water than standard methods. In fact, eco-consciousness is a tenet of Selva Negra’s entire coffee production process, from this water-saving washing method to the Estate’s reuse of the coffee byproducts to even their development and use of their own organic weed and pest control methods.
Additional Merits of Selva Negra Coffee
In addition to being direct trade, which promotes fair wages and benefits for growers, Selva Negra’s coffee is also Rainforest Alliance Certified, certified organic, certified Strictly High Grown (SHG), and certified shade grown. In 2007, the estate also received the SCAA Sustainability Award.
We’re excited to offer such a unique and amazing coffee produced with strict, environmentally-friendly standards and which benefits so many people. We hope you’ll stop by and pick up a can or cup at your local Jittery Joe’s Coffee today, or buy online now.
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Jittery Joe’s Coffee is participating in the second annual “Taste Your Place” extravaganza which places a focus on building a strong, accessible local food culture in the area.