Description
Region: Matagalpa
Producer: Dr. Enrique Ferrufino
Variety: Parainema | Altitude: 1 200 – 1 400
Dr. Enrique Ferrufino, a surgeon, was born and raised on a coffee farm in Matagalpa’s mountainous region in 1956. Alongside his wife Silvia, a pediatrician, they ventured into the coffee industry in 1992, acquiring Finca Aurora in 2004. Their passion for coffee was instilled in their three children from an early age, and together, the Ferrufino family has been dedicated to producing exceptional coffee. This Parainema lot, a Sarchimor dwarf variety, boasts fruity and chocolatey notes with hints of stone fruit.
A fundamental principle guiding their business is the aspiration to inspire people through coffee. Over the years, they’ve invested in providing fair wages, safe living conditions, healthcare, food, and education for their workers. They also collaborate with local small-scale producers to enhance their farming techniques. Environmental preservation is paramount to the Ferrufino family. They exclusively employ renewable energy and diligently work to conserve water resources and natural habitats. The farm’s lush native trees house diverse bird and wildlife species, while also providing shade and enriching the soil with organic matter, safeguarding against erosion, droughts, and floods. After meticulous handpicking, cherries undergo a 36-hour light fermentation before being carefully sun-dried on the farm’s drying beds and patios, a process taking around 25 days.
Finca Aurora stands out as one of Nicaragua’s pioneering farms with a fully integrated coffee operation on-site. They handle coffee production, washing, and drying within the farm premises. The coffee is milled, sorted, and bagged at Beneficio Finca Aurora, overseen by the farm’s dedicated team, ensuring rigorous quality control throughout the process. Parainema, part of the Sarchimor family, was initially developed by IHCAFE (Instituto Hondureño del Café) in the 1980s. Resistant to coffee leaf rust (CLR), Parainema thrives at medium altitudes and is a dwarf variety, enabling dense planting to maximize yield per hectare. The RFA designation stands for Rainforest Alliance, signifying a commitment to climate-smart agriculture. RFA-certified farms feature at least 40% canopy cover, significant species diversity (averaging at least 12 native tree species per hectare), and maintain natural buffers between agricultural land and water bodies. These farms also prioritize the use of organic fertilizers.
