Sitio Paraiso-Lote 3 (2016) - Brazil Naturals 2016 Verified listing

History of the farm

Fazenda Paraíso was acquired in 1977, coffee and banana crops being planted soon after, agricultural activities that suffered three climactic disasters in 1979, 1981 and 1994.

With the death of the family matriarch, the farm was split among the heirs.

The crops have been completely replanted with the Yellow Bourb—n variety, producing mountain coffee that has displayed excellent quality.

Located at the base of the Pedra Branca Mountains, the property is replete with pristine forests and springs of crystalline water. The locale also presents characteristics favorable to coffee cultivation, such as moderate climate, continuous wind and elevation. From the peak of the Pedra Branca Mountains, at an elevation of 1,826 m, one can contemplate a panoramic view of the entire region, which gives the neighborhood where the farm is located its name: Bairro Bela Vista (Beautiful View).

 Coffee processing system

The harvest is manual and the recently-picked coffee is transported on the same day to Chácara Santo Inácio, in the neighboring city of Pedralva, MG, where the coffee processing installations are located. Upon arriving at the farm, the coffee is immediately separated via electronic selection, without the use of water.

Drying is initially done on a concrete patio, covered with a layer of asphalt. After initial drying, the coffee is transferred to open, plastic-covered greenhouses, where it is raked 6 to 8 times per day until it reaches the ideal moisture content for storage.

Concern about quality

With the objective of producing high-quality coffees, Sítio Paraíso relies on agronomical technical support and on partnerships with other producers involved with the quality process. The owner also relies on the incentive of CarmoCoffees, in Carmo de Minas. This partnership with CarmoCoffees also provides Sítio Paraíso with the possibility of aggregating even more value to the coffee produced through international commercialization.

The owner of Sítio Paraíso, Cristiana Maria Carneiro Bustamante Figueira, relies on the experience of her father, Antonio Fortes Bustamante, as the principal source of knowledge related to the production of specialty coffees. It is a family tradition that already covers several generations. Antonio also learned from his father the basics of coffee crop management, and since then he has been improving himself over the years, as he is an enterprising and innovative entrepreneur who is always seeking to use cutting-edge technologies in the coffee-production process and, thus, continually improve the product.