4 - Fazenda Rochedo - Brazil 2023 (Wet)

Producer José Maria Martins is the second generation of the family to run Fazenda Rochedo. The property was bought by his father many years ago and nowadays, despite him still being the leader, all of the property is being run by his children. Watching over Fazenda Rochedo is José Maria’s responsibility. They work in a familial agriculture system, from planting to processing the coffees. The producer’s young daughters chose the profession after getting to know it and sharing their parents’  love for coffee cultivation.

The family is always concerned about the environment, preserving the springs and vegetation on the property. They do not use pesticides, seeking to maintain the balance between man and the Earth, always looking with care to the water, the trees, the animals. This has helped them reap excellent fruits along the way.

Another concern is with the quality of the beans. Their love for coffee makes them give great care to each bean during every process it undergoes. They take care during soil preparation, planning, fertilization, management, harvest, drying and storage to maintain the quality of their “gold.” For them, there is no point in doing this just for recognition or awards, they have always done it for love!

The farm relies on the work of women, during the harvest labor is mostly provided by women. The producer has always relied on his wife’s support and, for a few years, after completing their studies, his daughters have helped, too. They assist mostly with the harvest and drying, but they also help with other management activities during the year. As previously stated, there are two young daughters, Raniele, 21, and Tatiele, 20. They chose to work with coffee and to help their father on the property. As they work with familial agriculture, they do a little of everything.

The lot chosen to compete in the Cup of Excellence is a Catuaí 2SL, picked by hand by the family when it was well-ripened. Next it was taken to the house and pulped. The drying process is quite delicate when dealing with specialty coffees; it is necessary to rake the coffee several times per day to avoid undesired fermentation. This requires complete dedicate from the person responsible for this job, for this lot this was this producer’s daughter.

The main objective from harvest to reaching the ideal humidity is to not lose any of the quality that exists in them, thanks to the environment favorable to this, with mountains, climate, elevation and temperature, all favorable to cultivation.
In spite of their care for the environment, the producers do not yet have any certifications.