Finca Bella Aurora

Brothers David Ariel and Luis Joaquin Lovo proudly own and operate three exceptional farms nestled in the Dipilto mountain range of northern Nueva Segovia. Finca La Pradera, David Ariel’s pride and joy, is named after the pastures below the farm, once used for grazing cattle and horses. The highest point of the farm, at around 1,600 meters above sea level, is a grassy expanse with no trees, further justifying its name.

Luis Joaquin Lovo manages Finca Santa Teresa, a 12-hectare farm where he primarily cultivates Caturra and Catuai varieties. Bella Aurora, owned by Augusto Joaquin Lovo, the father of David and Luis, spans 36.5 hectares and reaches an altitude of 1,550 meters. Surrounded by guava, banana, and cedar trees, Bella Aurora is passionately managed by Luis Joaquin Lovo, who continues the family’s rich tradition of farming. All the Lovo family farms are committed to environmental sustainability and are managed with similar techniques.

On these farms, coffee is meticulously cultivated, with about 4,000 trees planted per manzana (a manzana in Central America is roughly 0.7 hectares or 1.3 acres) under shade trees that allow 30%–40% sunlight. The harvest is carefully timed to ensure the cherries are picked at peak ripeness, typically in mid-February. Each of the three Lovo estates has its own wet mill for depulping and fermenting. No water is added during fermentation, which usually lasts 12–15 hours, depending on the air temperature. Clean mountain water is then used to wash off the mucilage from the parchment coffee. The wastewater is treated with minerals and enzymes and filtered before being reintroduced into the environment. Coffee cherry pulp is composted, neutralized with calcium carbonate ("Cal"), and mixed with chicken manure and other organic materials to create fertilizer for the farm.