Planting
Dragon fruit is grown in the nutrient-dense soil close to the base of the active volcano, Masaya. Our farmers use 100% organic and regenerative organic farming techniques drawing down atmospheric carbon into the soil to cool the earth. They also use legumes to protect the pitahaya and infuse nitrogen into the soil during the hot summer months.
We work directly with over 250 smallholder Nicaraguan farmers to plant, grow, and cultivate our Organic Dragon Fruit. Our regular community workshops and one-on-one technical assistance programs help farmers manage their watershed and soil heath, improve yields and biodiversity, and comply with certifications.
We pay above market value and offer annual contracts and build collection centers in remote areas so our farmers do not have the burden of needing to sell their fruit elsewhere. The results of these actions are increased income and improved livelihoods for smallholder farming families. Your support provides a market-based solution to poverty alleviation.
Sol Organica is proud to practice regenerative organic agriculture, a set of farming practices that goes beyond organic standards to regenerate natural resources rather than deplete them, while benefiting communities and their surroundings. We know our farmers by name and can trace back to where every morsel of organic dragon fruit comes from.
Harvesting
Dragon fruit takes about three years from seed to harvest and harvest takes place during the Nicaraguan-winter from May to November when rain is prevalent so no manual irrigation is needed. Farmers only harvest the fruit when it is sweet, a vibrant pink color, and a decent size.
Collection Centers
The growers and Sol Organica staff carefully inspect and weigh each farmer's harvest where we review their account statements and progress towards bonuses or prizes from quality competitions between collection centers. Receipts are printed out for each grower at the time of collection. Manifests are also printed and sent along with the raw material to Sol Organica's loading dock.
Sol Organica’s collection team gathers the raw material from the Collection Centers located in La Concepción, Masaya, Carazo, Somoto, Ticuantepe, Sebaco, and Rivas. The team makes a visual inspection and selects the fruit according to the raw material specifications.
Then fresh, hand-selected dragon fruit is loaded onto Sol Organica’s truck and transported to the processing facility in San Marcos, Carazo, Nicaragua.
Receiving & Processing
The warehouse staff receives all the documentation indicating the following: quantities of raw material, certification or category (organic, regenerative organic, etc.), and name of farm and farmer. Then our staff responsible for quality-control reviews samples to ensure they comply with our high quality, premium standards.
The dragon fruits are washed, peeled and then processed for Sol Simple Organic Solar Dried Dragon Fruit, bulk dried organic dragon fruit, as well as organic dragon fruit powder, puree, or IQF. Then they are packed and prepared for export. Nothing is added (100% natural) and all products are sugar, preservative, sulfate, and pesticide-free. The product is prepared under strict sanitary conditions in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices and our FSSC 22000 certified food safety management system.
Transportation & Storage
The finished product is packed and then shipped in full load containers to the Port of Everglades in Florida, U.S.
For our European customers, our finished products are shipped to Port of Rotterdam in The Netherlands.
Our packaged product is stored in our warehouses in the U.S. and Europe, and then shipped to you and other customers to savor and enjoy!