17 Sítio São Judas Tadeu - Brazil 2022

Sítio São Judas Tadeu is located in the Serra da Mantiqueira region, in the city of Cristina, in the south of Minas Gerais, at 1100 to 1300 meters of elevation. The region has mountainous topography and high-altitude subtropical climate, which favor production of specialty coffees.

The property is run by the first generation of the family and was acquired in 2009. The owner always seeks quality in the coffee he produces. Yellow Bourbon makes up the entire 1 hectare of coffee planted.

Regarding quality, the crops on the farm are managed following guidance from agronomists from COCARIVE, who follow all stages of production, from crop management to post-harvest. José Márcio and his wife, Andréa, run the farm in a system of familial agriculture. Andréa picks the coffee by hand and helps with the post-harvest processes. The owners’ daughters help with the drying process, raking the coffee on the cement patio.

The harvest began when the coffee cherries were well-ripened. The coffee was picked by hand over cloths to prevent it from touching the ground. It was taken daily to the concrete patio for drying. It was spread in thin layers on the patio and raked 12 to 15 times per day until reaching 11% humidity. After drying, the lots were separated and placed in wooden granaries to rest. Next the lots were taken to COCARIVE’s warehouse. The selected beans were analyzed by specialists from the cooperative, offering the market high-quality lots. Final processing resulted in 6 bags of processed coffee.

The producer’s concern for the environment leads him to always produce coffee sustainably, preserving the springs and forests on the property.