This is the first edition of a small monthly update from the farm, and an exciting one as we look forward to providing updates throughout the harvest season! Currently, we are in the pre-harvest season, and our farmers are making last-minute preparations to ensure a smooth 2022 harvest. Everything from cleaning plantations to checking baskets for holes is being taken care of.
In early October, our farmers planted a few different varietals. In Diplito, Parainema was planted, which was awarded the Cup of Excellence in Honduras. Additionally, they planted Obata, a new variety from Brazil.
In Las Sabanas, they are completing their final fertilization before sowing these seeds. These varietals are promising for Nicaraguan growers due to their resistance to coffee rust, or La Roya. La Roya is a fungus that covers the coffee plants' leaves with fungal spores, sometimes causing the leaves to fall off completely. Without healthy leaves, the coffee plant is unable to properly photosynthesize, resulting in a decreased yield and beverage quality. While La Roya is not currently spreading through Central America as it did in 2012, researching varietals that are better equipped to fend off this fungus is an important precautionary measure to avoid a devastating decrease in coffee output. This year, there has been great rust control at the farm, which is always good news.
Leading up to the 2022 harvest, there has been an abundance of rain, which might lead to an earlier harvesting than usual. The favorable climate this season makes us anticipate that we will begin picking coffee in November as the coffee beans start to mature.
At the farm, to prepare for the final round of fertilization before the harvest, the plants are cleaned up and weeded at the base. They are thoroughly cleaned to contribute to the sanitary management of the crop. Then, the plants are carefully fertilized manually, one by one. This will be the last time they are fertilized before the harvest begins.
Happy brewing, roasting, and cupping!
