FAZENDA CACHOEIRA DA GRAMA 2017 {UTZ} - Brazil Naturals 2017 Verified listing

Characteristics of the coffee lot

Processing: Natural

Variety: Yellow Bourbón

Average elevation: 1150 masl

Characteristics of the property

Location: São Sebastião da Grama, SP

Region: Alta Mogiana

Total area: 411 ha

Area planted with coffee: 65 ha

Highest elevation: 1220 masl

Lowest elevation: 990 masl

Telephone: +55 35 3714-1376 / 3721-3985

E-mail: gcdias63@gmail.com

Score: 86.27

History of the farm

Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama has been in the Carvalho Dias family since 1890. Gabriel

de Carvalho Dias, the owner, is responsible for the property’s management. It is located 3 miles from the Minas Gerais state line and has characteristics of the mountainous areas of Mogiana and Sul de Minas. On this farm, everything is done manually, which includes coffee plantation handling and harvest, since its topography does not allow any kind of mechanization. Social and environmental sustainability are considered very important in farm management. Gabriel de Carvalho Dias developed a program of planting native species to maintain a better ecological balance. The farm has a school, a club and a regulation size soccer field for the employees’ benefit. There are 48 houses for the employees and their families, all with modern facilities. Wastewater is treated to avoid polluting the stream that runs across the farm. The altitude of the coffee plantations is between 1100 and 1250 meters and the precipitation is between 1800 and 2000mm per year with an average temperature of 19ºC. Ideal conditions for coffee. The farm produces Bourbón coffees, famous for their exceptional quality. The farm is certified for complying with UTZ and BSCA protocols, and audited yearly.

Coffee processing system

Coffee is harvested manually on cloths, preventing the beans from touching the ground. The coffee processing is done as quickly as possible to avoid any chance of bean fermentation. The harvested coffee is immediately transferred from production fields to washers, with the separation of the cherry and green beans from the dry beans, which are sent to the terrace to dry, resulting in natural dried coffee. The cherry and green beans are processed by the coffee pulper, and the cherry beans are pulped and separated from the green coffee.

The pulped coffee is dried under the sun on terraces until the beans reach 20 percent humidity. At this stage, the coffee is transferred to the dryers to reduce humidity to 11 percent. Subsequently, the coffee lots are stored in a warehouse, in wooden silos, with low humidity level and free from odors that can affect the coffee.

Concern about quality

The quality of the coffee produced by Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama is a result of dedication and care during all coffee production stages, from the selection of the seedlings in nurseries and planting to harvesting and processing. After harvest, the beans receive the maximum attention possible so as not to lose any of the body and cup qualities that the region is known for.