La Verona Rojo
لا فيرونا روجو
The Verona farm was one of the first farms that exported its coffee under the concept of Estate Cof-fee to
the Italian city Verona between the years 1950 -1960.
The coffee from the La Verona farm was selected in the list of the 20 best coffees in Nicaragua from the
2018/2019 harvest.
The coffee of the farm is produced under shade with agroforestry systems and with good agricultural
practices.
35% of the area in the farm is being protected as a forest reserve area that is located in the National Natural
Reserve “El Arenal”, which is one of the few reserve areas of Nebliselva forest in Nicaragua. La Verona
employs around 20 permanent staff. The numbers swell during peak harvest with an additional 100
labourers employed to pick and process. These workers live nearby and are provided with free transport to
and from the farm, alongside 3 meals each day during their working week, there is also day care provided
for those that have small children.Maria Felicitas Mairena is the present owner of La Verona farm. She comes
from a family with a long coffee history. La Verona was acquired from her ancestors in the 1920s. The Verona
farm was one of the first farms that exported its coffee under the concept of Estate Coffee to the Italian city
Verona between the years 1950 -1960. In 1983 the farm was unfairly expropriated by the Sandinista Regime.
Fortunately, President Violeta Chamorro returned the farm to the Mairena’s Family in 1996. At that time the
finca was in a terribly neglected and desolate condition and had to be completely rebuilt.
The processes that take place on the farm are Washed, Natural, Honey, Anaerobic (washed, natural and
honey), Carbonic Maceration (washed, natural, honey) and Green Cherries under anaerobic fer-mentation.
The farm produces around 1,200 quintales of coffee on average each harvest, which equates to around
55,200kg. During harvest coffee is handpicked, with cherries being selected for colour and maturation. The
coffee is then dried on raised beds as the Sajonia Estate mill for 20 - 30 days weather dependng.
Climate change, cost of inputs and fertilizer are under pressure that affects incomes in farm and wages that
pay to workers.
