Coffee Country

Clesio Barb osa and Patrícia Soutto Mayor Assump ção

Presents:

Coffee Country Coffee Farms in

Minas Gerais

*Pictures: Bruno Albergaria 4

Sponsored by:

Brought to you by:

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*Bruno Albergaria

Index

Introduction 6 Authors 8 The Origins of Coffee 13 Coffee in Brazil and in the state of Minas Gerais 16 Types of Coffees 18 Coffee, The Beverage 21 Coffee in Minas Gerais 25 MAP OF MINAS PLATEAUS 29 Primavera Farm 30 Sequoia Farm 32 Ecoagrícola Farm 34 Atlântica Farm 36 MAP OF MINAS FORESTLANDS 39 Bom Jesus Farm 40 Água Limpa Farm 42 Pedra Redonda Farm 44 Oásis and Ouro Verde Farms 46 MAP OF WESTERN MINAS DIVIDE 49 Samburá Farm 50 Vila Boa Farm 52 Coronel Farm 54 Cachoeira Farm 56 Pinhal Farm 58 Samambaia Farm 60 MAP OF SOUTH/SOUTHWEST MINAS 63 Bela Vista Farm 64 Salto Farm 66 Santa Rosa Farm 68 Carmo Estate Farm 70 Pedra Negra Farm 72 Caxambu Farm 74 Itapuan Farm 76 Monte Alto Farm 78 Onça Farm 80 Piedade Farm 82 MAP OF MINAS HIGHLANDS 85 Esperança Farm 86 Lajinha Farm 88 São João Grande Farm 90 Guima Café Farm 92 Alegria Farm 96 Rio Brilhante Farm 98 Acknowledgements 99 Coffee Certifications 100 Credits 102 Sources 104 5

Presentation

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Primavera Farm - Capelinha

Brazil is an enormous country, of continental proportions, shaped into a mosaic of biodiversity representing a variety of ecosystems.

We are the world’s largest coffee producer. Our production has surpassed 50 million sacks per year, accounting for an expressive 30% of the world market. But the sheer volume overshadows another hidden treasure: our precious Brazilian specialty coffees.

Minas Gerais stands out from the rest of the country, not only because it is the state with the highest production, but also for its extensive size, unique environmental variations and a variety of socioeconomic diversity. Our state has coffee farms spanning a myriad of variations in soil, temperature, relative humidity and altitude, making the quality of coffee distinct for a number of different reasons.

In drier climates, such as those found in the Minas Highlands, North, Northeast and Jequitinhonha regions, coffees are known for intense aromas and hints of chocolate, caramel and nuts, delicate acidity, dense body and a sweet, long-lasting finish.

Coffees with a velvety body, moderate to sharp citric acidity, floral and fruity notes, remarkable sweetness and caramel flavors can be found in the Western Divide, the Southern and Southeastern parts of the state, as well as the forestlands of state.

In addition to the regions and the effects of varying climates, the state of Minas Gerais is also rich in processing methods, resulting in coffee showcasing sensorial traits that are unique to each region. Natural coffees, processed from ripe beans, often result in exceptional beverages; they often feature elevated complexity, in addition to their full body. Hulled coffees, unhulled and mashed coffees are often noted for hints of floral touches such as jasmine and yellow, tropical fruits. The plurality of aromas and flavors of the coffees in the state of Minas Gerais has become a worldwide trademark, reflecting the exuberance of nature, the work, the passion and the heart of its people.

I hope that you are able to page through this guidebook, travelling through the valleys, fields and rolling hills of Minas Gerais, and in its pages, take in some of the rich flavors of our delicious, trademark Minas coffee.

Flávio Meira Borém Full-time Professor in the Agricultural Engineering Department – Universidade Federal de Lavras – Specialist in Coffee Harvesting and Quality Control.

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Authors

In 2005, Patricia Soutto MayorAssumpção and I wrote our first book entitled, Terra de Minas – Culturas & Sabores – a book about the culture and cuisine of Minas Gerais.

Five years later, we traveled over 9,000 km to visit cities, rural areas and century-old farms included in our follow-up book, Terra de Minas – Fazendas e Sabores (The Lands of Minas Gerais – Farms and Flavors). Completely enthralled by the landscape along the highways and back roads, we quickly realized there was much more to write about.

In 2014, and in five months, we eagerly journeyed more than 6,000 km. Patricia entertained her life-long dream of having her own farm, while I relived my childhood – revisiting the lands where my grandparents long held farmlands on the shores of the Furnas Lake, the largest lake in the state of Minas Gerais. These were the elements that brought our next book to life, Minas Gerais – Dairy Farms and Flavors, honored with first prize and best in the world in the category of Milk and Cheese – the winner of the Best Gourmand Awards

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Monte Alto Farm - Guaxupé

in China, considered the Oscars of the culinary world.

In 2015, we once again set out on the road. This time in search of coffee farms, ultimately laying the groundwork for our following book, Minas Gerais – Coffee Farms and Flavors, also garnering an award from the Gourmand Awards, taking second prize in the category of Coffee.

The distinction bestowed upon our works, placing them among some of the best in the world, was the perfect motivation to continue to forge forward. Thus, is the driving force behind this travel guide, with pages chock-full of information for those who wish to follow the trails and history of one of our states richest resources: COFFEE. We would like to thank all of those people who hosted us along our travels, as well as our travel companion and photographer, Odilon Nicolau. His trained eye has brought us the eye-catching photography in this guide.

This is just a small sample of what we witnessed and experienced throughout our travels, and we hope to share the joy and emotion that we encountered along our journeys, visting the farms of Minas Gerais.

Clesio Barbosa Patrícia Soutto Mayor Assumpção

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All trails in Minas, lead to the many flavours of our coffee.

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Monte Alto Farm - GuaxupĂŠ

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*Bruno Albergaria

The Origins of Coffee

Santa Rosa Farm - Três Corações

Legend has it that a shepherd from the region currently known as Ethiopia, first observed that his goats perked up and grew more alert when they ate the leaves and red fruit from a bush in the mountains. The shepherd, curious by their behavior, decided to try the fruit and noticed that he also became more alert and his senses were heightened throughout the day. Urged on by the novelty, he told the monks of his discovery; however, frightened by the effects the plant had on them, condemned the plant and ordered the bushes to be burned. Once aflame, the fruit put off a unique, irresistible scent.

The monks, therefore, decided to create an infusion using the roasted beans. They would drink the potion just before their evening prayer sessions and prayed straight through the night, resistant to fatigue. The news spread quickly and the drink gained its name from the shepherd’s hometown, Kaffa, giving origin to the world-famous beverage known as COFFEE. It is also fabled that African tribes were aware of coffee since early civilizations, grinding the beans and making a paste used to feed livestock and boost the strength of their warriors.

According to history, coffee has its origins in the high plains of Ethiopia, however the origin of the word ‘coffee’ lay not in the name of the town Kaffa, but taken from the Arabic word, qah’wa, meaning ‘wine’. The classification, Coffea 13

Arabica, the type of coffee commonly grown in Brazil and around the world was named as such, as a result of its Arabic origins.

The first coffee shop recorded was opened in Constantinople. Although the drink was considered against the laws of Mohamed, it was later approved by religious heads and authorities who argued that it helped digestion, cheered up the spirit and kept malaise away. In Italy, in the 16th century, coffee was considered a beverage of Mohamed’s followers, and therefore banned for Christians. Consumption was only authorized by Pope Clemente VIII after he tried it and took a liking to the drink.

The first coffee shops were opened in England, Italy and France. During Luis XIV’s reign, sugar was added to the drink. In the following century, coffee shops became the meeting place for the Illuminati and revolutionaries on the eve of the French Revolution.

After such widespread success, the Germans, French and Italians began to seek out ways of planting and cultivating the crop in their colonies abroad. However, the Dutch were the first to cultivate the first crops in the botanical gardens grown within greenhouses in Amsterdam.

Using the bushes from Amsterdam, they began experimental plantations in Java and Sumatra in 1699. The Dutch offered the crop as a gift to the French. French plantations originated on the Sandwich and Bourbon Islands. Based on the experiments of the Dutch and French, plantations made their way to other European colonies, Africa and the New World.

Europeans brought coffee to a number of places including Suriname, San Domingos, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Guyanas. Coffee arrived in the north of Brazil, via the Guyanas, eventually making its way to the southeastern region. Between the years 1881-1890, it had quickly become Brazil’s number one export.

The beverage, once banned by the monks of Ethiopia, has now become one of the most popular drinks in the world.

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Carmo Estate Farm - Heliodora 1515

Coffee in Brazil and in Minas Gerais

It is difficult to separate legend from truth about the arrival of coffee in Brazil. There are some indications that the former Governor of the GrãoPará states, now known as the state of Pará and Maranhão, João de Maia da Gama, ordered his staff sergeant to travel to French Guyana to bring back some valuable coffee plants back in 1727.

While in the capital of Cayenne, the staff sergeant was said to have gained the Governor’s wife’s confidence and received a valuable gift: a bouquet of coffee plants hidden among other flowers and plants. Thus began the illustrious history of coffee farming in Brazil.

The simple fact remains that coffee took well to Brazil and expanded from the Serra do Mar, making its way to the Paraíba Valley and the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, finding an ideal climate and altitude in which it ultimately thrived. Coffee farming has been the genesis for building new highways, the settling of entire towns and has brought wealth, considered the main source of income in Brazil for decades.

African slaves worked in the fields until the Áurea Law was passed, abolishing slavery in Brazil and thus bringing droves of European immigrants who were fleeing WWI and the crisis in Italy. From 1880 to 1930, Italians and Spanish immigrants were the most prevalent workers found in the state of São Paulo.

In the end of the 19th century, coffee answered for 70% of Brazilian exports.

The term ‘coffee and milk politics’ was born at this time, in which the presidency was shared by those indicated by the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, the largest coffee producer and the largest dairy producer, respectively.

In the 1920s, surplus stocks of coffee increased steadily and drove prices down. Other coffee producing countries began to compete with Brazil for exports. The 1929 economic crisis hit, rocking the New York stock exchange therefore devastating the Brazilian economy. The price of coffee around the world fell, as well as coffee consumption falling to even lower levels.

In order to reduce the product’s

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surplus that was driving down prices, Getúlio Vargas declared that all stocks of coffee were to be burned. From 1931 to 1943, mountains of coffee, nearly 80 million sacks, were consumed by fires. It is said that coffee beans replaced firewood used to fuel locomotive steam engines at the time. Beginning in 1944, the supply of coffee was overseen by coffee producing countries and, in 1963, the International Coffee Organization – ICO, was created, with Brazil included as a member.

In the state of Minas Gerais, crops first began in the Zona da Mata (Forest region) region. Travelers on the Estrada Real (the Royal Highway), transporting gold to the port town of Paraty in the state of Rio de Janeiro, returned with coffee seeds. As mining began to slow, coffee gained importance and coffee farming exploded with the arrival of railways in 1859.

Coffee farming brought immense wealth to the Zona da Mata region, making it the wealthiest part of the state at the outset of the 20th century, with coffee farms popping up in the South of the state of Minas Gerais where a coffee legend was born. Inês Carvalho Dias, just 25 years old, widowed with four children, refused to give in to society’s demands of keeping women out of the workplace. She purchased a farm on the border of São Paulo and Minas Gerais and began to grow coffee crops. After her first profits, she purchased two more farms and became the first woman to head a coffee empire.

In the 1970s, coffee arrived in the region known as the Minas Highlands, the result of government initiatives and the development of new technologies in planting. Today, the area leads production on an industrial scale. It is common to find huge farms with more than 10 million coffee plants.

In the northern region of the state, micro-regions account for a small part of coffee production, but are essential in making the state of Minas Gerais the largest coffee producer in the country.

Minas Gerais currently boasts more than 1 million hectares of planted coffee crops and produces more than half of the Brazilian harvest.

The beans are exported to more than 60 countries around the world. It is estimated that some 17% of the coffee consumed around the world originates in the great state of Minas Gerais.

Oásis Farm - Coimbra 17

Types of Coffee The coffee tree (Coffea Sp.) is a bush that has a relatively long life and may reach from 2 to 6 meters in height in their adult stage, producing two-tone coffee cherries which have two halves and two seeds. Coffee is largely grown in tropical countries. Although there are hundreds of types of Coffea, only two are grown on a large scale, Coffea arabica, also known as ‘Arabica’ or ‘Arabica Coffee’, and Coffea canephora, better known as ‘Robusta Coffee’ or ‘Conilon’.

Coffea arabica, grown mainly in South and Central America, accounts for 70% of the world's production. The first harvest occurs between the third and fourth year after planting and most coffee plants produce fruit for some 30 years. Some examples of the types of Coffea arabica are: Bourbon, Catucaí, Catuaí Topázio, Mundo Novo, Rubi and Moca.

The name ‘Moca coffee’ or ‘Mocha’ is, in fact, a reference to the town Mocha on the coast of the Red Sea in Yemen, which was an important coffee exporting town in the 15th century.

Arabica coffee beans produce specialty, or gourmet, coffees considered rare and unique. They have an intense aroma and offer a wide variety of flavors.

*Bruno Albergaria

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The taste is fruity and acidic, at lower caffeine levels than Coffea canephora.

The general rule of thumb is: the more caffeine, the more biting the coffee.

Coffea canephora, ‘Robusta Coffee’ or ‘Conilon’, differs from Arabica insofar as it is a multi-branch bush. The cherries are generally smaller, oval fruit although they may produce up to 50% more beans. Conilon types are: Kouillou, Crassifólia, Laurenti, Oka and Uganda, in addition to others. The planting of Coffea canephora is most common in Africa, Asia and South America, accounting for approximately 30% of the world’s coffee production.

In addition to these two types of coffees, there are others that are also grown, although in much lower quantities. Coffea liberica, for example, commonly known as ‘Libérica Coffee’, also produces a robust, bitter coffee. It grows in lower altitudes and is mainly found in Malaysia and Western Africa, representing less than 1% of the world’s total production.

In Brazil, Minas Gerais is the largest coffee producer, including specialty coffees, and Arabica, which represents 98% of the state’s overall production.

Espírito Santo is the leading state for Conilon coffee.

Primavera Farm - Capelinha

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Cachoeira Farm - Santo AntĂ´nio do Amparo

Salto Farm - Carmo da Cachoeira

Coffee, the Beverage It is difficult to imagine the long journey the illustrious bean has taken as we hold in our hands a hot, steaming cup of coffee. It takes a number of steps, some with a variety of processes in each step, to go from planting to tasting, and to reach our cups. Coffee has long been one of the most appreciated beverages on the planet for thousands of years.

The main component in coffee is caffeine which increases our awareness, and over time, aids in memory retention. However, an excess in the consumption of coffee may bring about undesirable effects such as insomnia. Those who suffer from heart conditions should consult a doctor about safe amounts of caffeine that may be taken in daily.

Quality analysis of coffee is based on a classification table. The classification method most commonly used is sensorial analysis, known as “cupping�. Specialists, also known as Q-graders, score quality on a scale of 0 to 100. Samples scoring over 90 are extremely expensive, yet it remains impossible to elect the best coffee in the world. Both tangible and intangible factors influence preferences, such as personal taste, in addition to perception of smells and tastes by graders.

The worldwide trend is to place increased value on the consumption of organically and naturally grown coffees, employing natural fertilizers and control production methods in order to ensure minimal effects of 21

Caxambu Farm - Três Pontas

dangerous, undesirable chemicals.

Raw beans generally hide their flavor. Only after roasting do they reveal their hidden secrets, making this an extremely important step in acquiring a top quality beverage. Roasting of specialty coffees is, in fact, a union between science and art, between sense and sensibility! One must know the beans, the physical and chemical processes that occur while roasting, while ensuring the subtle flavor producing an aroma that gives the beans their original identity. The exact roasting point is different between traditional coffees and stronger coffees.

Raw beans may be stored for years, while roasted beans generally have a short shelf-life, just around one month. However, Brazilian legislation allows expiration dates of up to a year when coffee is unopened and packaged properly.

The act of grinding is another important stage and beans are ground according to how the drink will be prepared: pulverized – for Arabic coffees in which coffee is unfiltered; fine – for paper and cloth coffee filters; medium – for espresso; and rough – for Italian coffee shops.

There are a few recommendations that are important in order to ensure a quality cup of coffee.

Choose freshly-ground beans, as this will offer more intense flavors. If 22

freshly-ground beans are not available, look for coffee brands that bear a quality and purity seal (in Brazil, the seal is issued by the ABIC – Brazilian Coffee Industry Association).

Products that are vacuum-packed best preserve the aroma and flavor.

After opening, it is essential to store coffee in a closed metal container in the refrigerator. This helps to keep in the original flavors packed into the bean.

Water should be filtered, or use pure mineral water, heated to around 90°C, once small bubbles begin to appear on the side of the kettle. Water should not reach a rolling boil. Coffee with sugar or sweetener will compromise the original flavor, but if you feel the need to sweeten your coffee, add sugar to individual cups.

Most coffee experts recommend drinking coffee up to one hour after brewing. Baristas are the professionals specialized in handling gourmet and specialty coffees – the essential brew master for those looking for a unique coffee experience.

And don’t forget to send out a collective "Cheers!" to those around the world who may also be sharing this special moment with us. This wonderful beverage, the fruit of both an incredible history and an unimaginable amount of hard work, is after all, a special link that ties us all together.

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Coffees from Minas Gerais

In October of 2015, the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association – ABIC – endorsed 1,141 brands bearing the ABIC Quality Seal, of which 338 were from the state of Minas Gerais.

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Sequoia Farm - Angelândia 28 28

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Primavera Farm O

*Bruno Albergaria

Capelinha

ur journey begins in the direction of Chapada de Minas, which includes the valleys Jequitinhonha and Mucuri. Valleys and hills with rich soil and steady, abundant rainfall run-off are fertile elements for coffee farming. Nearly 80% of the coffee produced in the region is exported to the United States and Europe.

Some 22 towns are included in the area of Chapada de Minas. In Angelândia, some 427 km from the capital, rests the Primavera Farm, part of the Montesanto Tavares Group, owned by entrepreneur Ricardo Tavares.

The producer maintains crops that laze in the shade of large trees covering some 25% of the coffee trees and crops. He states that the beans from these shaded crops mature more uniformly, guaranteeing higher quality coffee.

The Primavera Farm, and Matilda Farm, also in the area, account for 3.5 million trees, in which 135,300 are shaded by mahogany trees. The system has been designed to ensure compliance with UTC certifications, obtained in 2004, certifying commitment to sustainability, social responsibility and environmental commitment.

The breathtaking Primavera homestead, guest room and dining room windows open onto a stunning view of the property that includes untouched forests and regal palm trees. The kitchen features a wood-burning stove from which delicious food is often served on to a dining table made of mahogany.

The house is surrounded by extensive lawns. There is an adjoining building that can be reached along an L-shaped porch, where visitors will find both family and guest quarters.

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The coffee farmer enthusiastically offers his advice about coffee farming, plain and simple: plant coffee!

All visits should be previously scheduled by e-mail: ronaldo.filho@gmtfarms.com.br.

CAPELINHA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 480 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, follow state highway MG-120 to the town of Capelinha.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Capelinha

de Minas Cachaça Factory – produced on the Mata dos Cavalos Farm. Visits can be scheduled directly with the owner, Mr. Dalmir.

• Open Market – the market is open on

Saturdays and offers local delicacies such as cream cheese, hand-made

cheese and cachaças, in addition to ceramic handicrafts made in the Jequitinhonha Valley.

• Precious

Stone Circuit – precious stone mines located in the town of Caraí (187 km from Capelinha)

• Coffee Farms –

visits and tours of a variety of coffee farms can be scheduled.

Festivals and Events:

• Capelinense

Ausente Festival (former Coffee Festival) – held in July at the town Expo Center, offering shows of well-known artists.

• Our Lady of Grace Festival – held in August, offering stands, a procession, religious celebrations and fireworks.

*Bruno Albergaria 31

Sequoia Farm I

Angelândia

*Bruno Albergaria

n the town of Angelândia, rests the Sequoia Farm belonging to brothers Vicente and Paulo Lima, and their partners. A majestic row of Imperial palms welcomes visitors, buyers and friends to the heart of the farm. The porch offers a magnificent panoramic view, where the waning yellow-orange sun dances off of fields of coffee trees.

Spanning a massive 3,709 hectares, coffee trees have been planted over more than 1/3 of the property, offering Arabica in varieties such as Red and Yellow Catuaí, Cutucaí 2 SL, Arara, IAC 125 RN, Acaiá 474/19, IPR 100, Japy and Yellow Bourbon. An average of 35,000 sacks are produced annually. The property is also home to majestic African mahogany trees, in addition to Eucalyptus. The Eucalyptus trees are used to fuel the rotating bean dryers. The trees also create a natural windscreen in order to protect crops from the whipping winds that are characteristic in the region due to the high, mountainous terrain. Crops range from 1,000-1,300 meters above sea level. The property also boasts an idyllic 600-hectare ecological reserve.

Harvest is handled both by hand and by machine. Workers use a technique in which they strip the fruit which lands on a long cloth and then sift through coffee beans removing leaves and small unwanted residuals. The beans are then taken to the processing plant with washers, sorters, hullers and dryers. After processing, the coffee is sold to both national and international markets; however, in some rare cases, the product is delivered directly to roasting plants.

In 2010, the holding group of the property took on the trading name, 3 Corações Alimentos. Today, they manage over 16 brands of coffee, nine of which are in Minas, distributed throughout 350,000 points of sale in the country, dealing in ground coffee, roasted coffee, coffee pods, espresso machines, cappuccino mix, coffee filters, filter holders, instant coffee and more.

The Sequoia Farm draws its name from the enormous conifer trees that grow up to 140 meters high and live over 2,000 years. They are a symbol of the vitality of the family that has built an coffee empire, with aspirations to continue to please customers around the world for many years to come.

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*Bruno Albergaria

ANGELÂNDIA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 480 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, follow state highway MG-120 to BR-267 and follow to Angelândia.

and Pipes from the North of Minas) hold shows at religious festivals in the area.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 3335161322 or e-mail: rodrigo@fazendasequoia.com.br *Bruno Albergaria

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Alto

dos Bois Ecological Reserve – there is an old farm house up in the mountains, originally purposed as a military barracks in the 19th century.

Early miners and transporters formally requested D. João VI for protection from attacks by the Botocudos tribes, who frequently ransacked villages and killed workers.

In response, the leader sent 30 trained military police (dragons). The farm offers waterfalls and a variety of flora, native to the Plateau region.

There is a project to transform the area into an ecological reserve.

Festivals and Events:

• Angelândia Worker’s Festival – held

in April, offering shows on the town square and a horse ride throughout the region. The 13th edition of the annual celebration was held in 2018.

• Taquara

Band Shows – these local bands (as described in Daniel Lima Magalhaes’ book, Flutes, Harmonicas 33

Ecoagrícola Farm T

Francisco Dumont

here are nearly 1.5 million coffee trees planted over approximately 342 hectares on the Ecoagrícola Farm.

The property is located in Serra do Cabral in the central northern region of the state of Minas Gerais; the area is also home to the Serra do Cabral State Park, home to vast areas of preservation and the towns of Varzea da Palma, Buenópolis, Joaquim Felício, Augusto de Lima, Lassance and Francisco Dumont.

The region is one of the few suitable areas in the north of the state for coffee farming, thanks to the altitude where the farm sits, reaching altitudes of 1,150 meters.

In 2007, brothers Marcelo and Roberto began production and now export Catuaí and Catucaí coffee to Asia, Australia, Europe and the USA. Surrounded by mango and evergreen trees, the homestead boasts simple, rural architecture. Birds can be heard from the front porch where visitors and buyers are offered samples of the specialty coffees that are produced and roasted on the premises.

Roads between the plantations lead to the banks of an enormous reservoir, offering 260 million liters of water used to irrigate crops. The site showcases a wonderful view of the property.

One of the main attractions of the region can be found within the farms property limits: the stunning Lama Preta waterfall. The path leading to the waterfall is perfect for hikers looking to explore forest paths, only reachable on foot. Beginning at an entrance gate, hikers descend a narrow path protected by dense vegetation and thick roots springing up from the ground. Some of the roots serve as steps making the footpath a bit more walker-friendly; eventually hikers arrive at the waterfall that provides a breath-taking natural backdrop, spilling over pools that gather between large rocks.

The natural beauty of the waterfall and the charm the mountains of Serra do Cabral guarantee a fun-filled, unique experience for visitors of the coffee farms in the central north of the state of Minas Gerais.

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FRANCISCO DUMONT Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 378 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, take BR040 (North). Exit at BR-135 and follow to exit for MG-208. Follow to town of Francisco Dumont.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Açudão Park and Tourism • Serra do Cabral Circuit

– The mountain range is located in the North-Central region of the

state. The Serra do Cabral State Park, also known as APA Serra do Cabral, also includes the towns of Várzea da Palma, Buenópolis, Joaquim Felício, Augusto de Lima, Lassance and Francisco Dumont, in addition to villages and farms in the surrounding areas.

• Ecoagrícola Farm is home to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the region.

Festivals and Events:

• Town Festival – held in June, a festival

of local dances and cuisine in honor of the saints for the month of June (St. Peter, St. Anthony and St. John).

All visits should be previously scheduled through the website www.ecoagricola.com.br or Instagram @ecoagricola.

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Atlântica Farm T

Pirapora

he Pirapora Farm belongs to Ricardo Ribeiro Tavares. The farm is located in the town of Pirapora, in the north of the state of Minas Gerais. The town sits along the banks of the São Francisco River, revered as the river that brings the country together since it crosses through five Brazilian states and connects the Southeast, Central East and Northeast of the country.

The farm features 1.3 million Arabica coffee trees, offering varieties such as Topázio, IBC 12 and Catucaí. Despite the lower altitudes, the annual production is considerable.

Some 500 hectares are dedicated to the planting of mahogany trees, while the remaining 222 hectares are laid out for coffee farming. One of the most beautiful trips offered by the farm is a drive along internal roads weaving through the crops. The mahogany plantations feature shady, symmetrical tunnels through the solid trunks and lush crowns.

The property also offers a runway for small aircraft that also doubles as a drying field for coffee beans. The beans are processed on the premises, equipped

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with modern equipment and machines. The farm is meticulously cared for by 45 employees, from 8 families that reside on the farm, work the fields and seek to protect their native, untouched forests.

The homestead is well decorated, with extensive verandas and bursting gardens that splash color around a welcoming pool. Local culture is represented by wood sculptures of folkloric feline creatures that are famous to the São Francisco River region.

After visiting the fields of mahogany and coffee, the day is complete, sitting around a great mahogany table, elaborately set for guests to sample the flavors and pleasures of the farm’s local specialty coffee.

PIRAPORA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 340 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte, take BR-040 in the direction of BR-135. Exit at BR-496 and continue to the town of Pirapora.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area: • Navigation on the São Francisco River begins in the town of Pirapora. Before the 19th century, only small boats and canoes were able to reach the shores of São Gonçalo das Tabocas, the original name of the town now known as Pirapora. Steamships started navigating the river in 1871, however the famous ‘steamers’, as they were known – Saldanha Marinho, Benjamim Guimarães and Mata Machado – only began regular routes to the shores of the small town in 1902. Nowadays, the main tourist attraction in the town is a boat tour of the São Francisco River aboard the Benjamim Guimarães.

• For those interested in handicrafts, the Carranqueiros Association showcases the work and craftsmanship of the local carrancas folklore. According to legend, the sculptures were added to the bows of ships, helping to ward off the evil water creatures and bad spirits during the legendary voyages of Velho Chico, a famous historical figure on the river. Although the sculptures are initially a scary sight, they have won over tourists with their fine details and ornate painting. They attract tourists from all over the country.

• The local cuisine is another grand attraction featuring dishes made with local fish – the local delicacy, surubim (a large river fish known for its thick, flaky filets), is a local favorite, cooked on the grill or barbecue.

Festivals and Events:

• Pirafolia

– the town festival takes place in February during the dates that coincide with the world famous Brazilian Carnival.

All visits should be previously scheduled by e-mail: ronaldo.filho@gmtfarms.com.br.

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Oรกsis Farm - Coimbra 38

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Bom Jesus

Farm

Realeza - District of Manhuaçu

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ravelers from the state of Minas Gerais weaving through the mountainous terrain, while making their way down to the sea in the state of Espírito Santo, rest the lands where Renan Werner da Gama began planting coffee trees in 1975.

Today, at the young age of 93, the coffee farmer has passed down the responsibilities of the daily administration of the Bom Jesus Farm. One of his children, Gustavo Werner da Gama Filho, is now in charge of negotiating the harvest that is delivered to buyers and for export. He often hosts buyers, as well as handles the daily activities of the property.

Nearly 1 million Arabica coffee trees are planted over 250 hectares of land including Yellow Catuaí, Red Catuaí, Mundo Novo, Caturra and Rubi. The farm harvests an average of 10,000 sacks.

The steep hills make it impossible for machine harvesting, therefore harvesting is handled 100% by hand. As a result, production costs are increased, although it also results in important social gains in the form a producing employment opportunities all year round. The owner estimates that there are more than 70 families involved in the activities of the Bom Jesus Farm. Every employee is considered a partner and has a share in the annual results.

In addition to influencing harvesting procedures, the steep terrain is also a determining factor in the variety of coffee flavors the farm produces. The aromatic tones in coffee flavors are also influenced by the amount of light the coffee trees receive, and this often varies according to where trees are planted. Some of the crops are planted at altitudes above 1,100 meters, while others remain in lower valleys, sharing the fields with banana trees.

Gustavo maintains a special area on the back porches of the homestead where he roasts specialty coffees, prepared and offered to visitors. Visitors are offered a bird’s eye view of the crops full of fruit, in addition to the sloping, hilly terrain.

Taking in the sweet smells and flavors of coffee brewed on the spot and overlooking the breathtaking landscape in the dimming light of the day will always be a fond memory for any of those who are privileged to visit the Bom Jesus Farm.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 33 99984-2627 or e-mail: gustavowerner@gmail.com 40

REALEZA – DISTRICT OF MANHUAÇU Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: Realeza, 291 km – Manhuaçu, 301 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte: take highway BR-381 to exit for BR-262. Follow to the town of Realeza/Manhuaçu.

Main Attractions in Town/Area:

• Coffee Castle – opened in 2018, it remains the only castle in the world dedicated to the history of coffee.

• Bandeira

Peak – located in the Caparaó National Park, the park offers a campground, trails and waterfalls.

• São Lourenço Church – classic church in Gothic architecture.

• House of Culture – promotes Arts and Culture offering exhibits and contests, in addition to the city's historical museum.

• Arts and Crafts Fair – exhibit and market of local arts and crafts.

Festivals and Events:

• Peace Fair – held in November, rodeo, farm show, amusement park, music and dance contests and shows.

• Mountain Coffee Symposium – held in March, lectures, courses and workshops, in addition to expo of coffee products and equipment.

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Água Limpa Farm T

Manhuaçu

*Bruno Albergaria

he Água Limpa Farm, belonging to the Dutra family, is a symbol of success for coffee farming in the Zona da Mata region, known for its specialty coffees.

The Naomi cultivar hails from the Arabica family and has been developed specifically for an Italian coffee chain. The coffee takes its name in honor of the British fashion model, Naomi Campbell. Another exclusive coffee harvested on the farm is Pacamara, originally thought to be extinct in Brazil – a crossbreed of Maragogipe from Bahia and Pacas from Central America.

The farm also offers a special blend of coffee that undergoes a special ‘stomping’ process, mashed under foot – a process carried out with grapes in the production of wine. The mashing process is accompanied by Brazil’s most characteristic musical rhythm, hence acquiring the name Samba coffee. The farm also produces other varieties such as: Yellow and Red Catuaí, Yellow Icatú, Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Uva and Aramosa, in addition to a variety of others.

Most of the harvest goes to roasters fueled by husks taken directly from the coffee beans. The ashes, composted along with other materials, are used as organic fertilizer. The use of chemicals is held to a minimum in order to maintain an even environmental balance.

Dutra coffee is widely regarded by Europeans. In Germany, a chain of coffee shops showcases exclusive coffee machines selling coffee bearing the family name.

Coffee trees are draped over picturesque, hilly terrain – sharing the fields with avocado trees, lime trees and orange orchards.

A row of colorful houses welcomes visitors. The stone pathways leading up to the colonial Brazilian homestead are carefully 42

*Bruno Albergaria

laid out and maintained. There is a small foot path that leads out into the hills off the side of the house. The world-famous photographer, native to the state of Minas Gerais, Sebastian Salgado, reached an altitude of 1,350 meters while taking photos for his book – Scent of a Dream – A Journey into the World of Coffee.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 33 3331-3490 or email: contato@fazendasdutra.com.br.

*Bruno Albergaria *Bruno Albergaria

43

Pedra Redonda Farm A

Araponga

huge stone, rising 1.57 meters above sea level, has inspired the name of the Pedra Redonda (Round Stone) Farm, located in the town of Araponga, in the Zona da Mata region of the state of Minas Gerais. The roadways that weave through the property and through the mountains feature spectacular views of the plantations and the rustic homestead, looking like a fortress on a hilltop.

At a closer glance, visitors will be surprised to find out that what looks like a fortress is actually a huge patio used to dry out coffee beans, and the fences that surround the fortress are actually suspended drying racks used for special blend beans. It is the only farm that we visited with a circular drying patio…and we have never heard of anything quite like it!

The owner, José Bernardes Santana, Júnior as he is lovingly known, handles every aspect of the Pedra Redonda Farm at the young age of 81 years old. He tells tales of how the farm needed a large area to dry coffee and decided to sculpt out the hillsides because the farm has so few flat areas. According to the farmer, the round circular drying patio has reduced production costs and has facilitated the drying process. The whole process has been assisted by equipment that can turn the beans in a concentric circular motion without stopping; different from rectangular drying patios where machines have to navigate the square corners.

There is a total of 780,000 Arabica coffee trees offering Catuaí, Mundo Novo and Bourbon coffees. Due to the lay of the land, harvesting is carried out by hand. During this time the number of employees swells from 35 to 160.

One of the coffees grown on the farm has been awarded 92 points on the Q-grader scale. The farm has been issued the BSCA - Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association award in 2003, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Many of the fields rest in the shadow of African mahogany trees. Visitors catch a glimpse of the regal trees from the highway – their tall, reddish leaves contrasting from the deep green branches below.

Part of the 160 hectares that make up the Pedra Redonda Farm have been left untouched with their native trees and forests, adding a special enchanting touch the landscape.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 31 38919254 or e-mail: jbernardessantana@gmail.com.

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ARAPONGA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 279 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG: take highway BR-040 (South) to BR-482 and follow to the town of Araponga.

Main Attractions in Town/Area:

• Boné Peak – access trails for cars and hikers. Visitors will find a unique panoramic view of the area. The trails also offer a stop at Boné Falls.

• Serra do Brigadeiro State Park – site of a neo-colonial homestead.

• Caverns – former mines carved out by slaves during the Brazilian Gold Rush.

Festivals and Events:

• Coffee Festival – held in June, offering courses such as Coffee Treats and live music. The event is held in the main town square.

• São Domingos Festival – held in August, featuring ox carts, horse rides, carriage rides, tractors, motorcycles and cars, raffles and drawings, square dancing and live music.

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Oásis and Ouro Verde Farms T

Coimbra

he Oasis and Ouro Verde farmlands can be found on the outskirts of the small town, Coimbra, in the Zona da Mata region of the state of Minas Gerais. The owners are brothers José Mauro and Sérgio Henrique Maciel.

The hills range in altitudes from 850 to 950 meters. The number of trees planted between the two farms stands at approximately 750,000 Arabica trees, most of which represent the Catuaí 44 cultivar.

The name already hints to the hidden treasures within the farmlands and gives off an air of serenity, home to a number of natural springs and untouched forests. A veritable “oasis” that Sergio Henrique found and purchased during a long drought within the region.

In total, 28 employees carefully handle all of the tasks from harvest to processing.

Due to the steep landscape, it is impossible to use machinery for harvest. The farm commonly hires around 200 part-time workers during harvest. In 2018, approximately 7,200 sacks of coffee were harvested.

The installations set up to process the harvest are well-kept and the operation is very well organized. Mechanical dryers have been strategically installed on a hilltop, directly next to a large drying patio. Upon harvest, gravity works its magic, carrying beans through a tube onto the patio. Eucalyptus trees have also been planted and are used to fuel the mechanical drying equipment.

The house that serves as the headquarters for the two farms has been built in a small, cozy valley surrounded by coffee plantations and native trees that protect the natural springs. A peaceful lake serves as a huge fish tank, guaranteeing fresh fish that is often served on the porch stretching across the back of the house. The garden features orchids that cling to the trees that line a beautiful cobble-stone patio.

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The house, the garden, the lake, the pristine forests and the silent valley are all serenaded by the sweet song of birds, offering visitors their fair share of soothing moments. The picturesque scene can all be taken in, along with the sweet taste and smell of a good cup of coffee. A true oasis!

COIMBRA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 243 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte, take highway BR-040 (South). Follow to exit for BR-482.

Continue to exit for BR-356 to the town of Coimbra.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Usina Waterfall – located in the town of Ervália, offering swimming areas at the base of the waterfall. There are bars and restaurants. The area became a protected reserve in 2005.

• Arthur Bernardes Museum – located in the town of Viçosa.

Ranch where the former president of the country lived, showcasing a variety of memorabilia.

Festivals and Events:

• São Sebastião Festival – held in January,

São Sebastião is the patron saint of the town. The festival features marches and horse expos. There is also a livestock auction for cattle and small farm animals, including a special celebration to honor cowboys and a car show.

• Coimbra Horse Festival – held in September, featuring a horse show and live music.

• Coimbra New Year’s - live shows on the main town square.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 31 99965-4997 or e-mail: jmvmaciel@terra.com.br.

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Vila Boa Farm - Carmo da Mata 48

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Samburá Farm T

São Roque de Minas

he Samburá Farm is located in the town well-known as the birthplace of the mighty São Francisco River.

The road leading up to the property winds through the Canastra Mountains, a region world-famous for its handcraft, raw-milk cheeses that have garnered a variety of international awards. The landscape along the winding, picturesque roads offers passengers breathtaking views of vast coffee plantations, in addition to fields of soy, corn and green pastures. Along the roadside, waterfalls fed by the river’s natural springs, such as Casca d’Anta Falls, beckon drivers for a pit stop to cool off.

Donizete Geraldo Leite is the owner of the farm. He was born in the area, on his parents’ farmlands, and home to their resting place, high up on the hilltops. In addition to inheriting these farmlands, Donizete added some 75 neighboring farms to his property over the years, totaling an astounding total of 2,500 hectares.

There is a 7-hectare reservoir that supplies water for the processing of coffee. The water is then recycled, used to moisten the husks from coffee beans and turned in natural fertilizer.

The plantations sit at an altitude of 850 meters, excellent for coffee farming and home to some 7 million coffee trees, offering Arabica varieties such as Catuaí 62, Catuaí 144, Topázio and Mundo Novo. Harvesting is handled almost entirely by machine. There are 44 dryers and 12 wood bins able to hold up to 500 sacks of coffee.

In 2018, production was recorded at nearly 30,000 sacks.

Our journey through Coffee Country came to an end at the Samburá Farm; and to our surprise, we were taken aback by the sheep that roamed freely through the coffee fields, trained to return in the evening back to the stables with no need for a shepherd.

We have never seen anything like it in our journeys of over than 12,000 km throughout the coffee farms in the state of Minas Gerais. It was a pleasant surprise and a befitting way to end our journeys through Coffee Country – bringing to mind the sheep herder who noticed the playful, spry behavior of his flock after eating the red berries from local bushes – soon to be brought to the world – and capture the heart of coffee lovers everywhere!

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SÃO ROQUE DE MINAS Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 320 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG: take highway BR-381, to exit for BR-050. Exit at MG341 and follow to the town of São Roque de Minas.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Serra da Canastra National Park – the birthplace of the mighty São Francisco River and home to the Casca d’Anta waterfall.

• Canastra Tours – visits and tours of local farms where world-famous Canastra cheese is produced.

• Capão Forro Waterfall Complex – featuring rappelling and canoeing.

• Stoney Corrals – corrals built entirely out of stone walls.

Festivals and Events:

• Canastra Cheese Festival – held in June, offering lectures, cooking shows and

workshops for children, the State Handcraft Cheese competition, a rodeo and live music.

• August Festival (aka São Roque Festival – town patron saint) – held in August, showcasing food stands, amusement park, fireworks, processions, live shows and music, car show and expo.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 37 3433-1133 or e-mail: dglfazendas@hotmail.com.

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Vila Boa Farm Carmo da Mata

I

n a region known as Carmo da Mata, in the western part of the state of Minas Gerais, the last traces of untouched Atlantic rain forest can be found. The forest is home to a few remaining wild panthers, or a small local feline species known as jaguatiricas. It is here that we find the Vila Boa Farm, owned by Rubio Fernal Ferreira e Souza and Mônica Borges de Souza.

Set at an altitude of 1,100 meters, the farm has 15 cultivars of Arabica coffees – one of which is Bourbon.

This exotic variety is well-known among coffee drinkers around the world, due to its sweet, natural flavor, intense body, accentuated acidity, chocolaty depth and complex, deep aromas. The taste rests on the palate well after finishing the drink – truly remarkable.

On the Vila Boa Farm, beans are selected by a precision optical machine where they are set out to dry. Other beans are washed and separated by types reaching the suspended drying racks, where they are slowly turned for five days and covered at night. All beans go through dryers, ultimately reaching the ideal moisture level of 11 to 12%. Coffee beans then rest in wooden barrels for at least 30 days. After beans have been properly cleaned, they are polished, classified by size and undergo systematic optical separation in order to remove any imperfections from the hulls.

The Vila Boa Farm, renowned for its impeccable organization, maintenance and cleanliness is an impressive sight. The same meticulous care can be seen in the fields from viewpoints installed throughout the fields, where buyers and visitors are privy to VIP views of the plantations and landscape surrounding the farm.

The headquarters is decorated with both modern and 52

antique furnishings. Rubio is an avid collector of table clocks, grandfather clocks and wall clocks, in addition to toothpick holders and coffee cups, coins, miniature trains – as well as automobiles and pick-ups. One rare gem in his collection is the car that appeared in the American TV series, The Untouchables, shown on Brazilian TV between 1959 and 1963.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 37 99985-3530 or e-mail: fazendavilaboa@gmail.com.

CARMO DA MATA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 160 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, take highway BR-262. Exit at BR-352 and follow to Carmo da Mata.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Antique

Cars and Clocks Exhibit – Mr. Rúbio Fernal’s personal collection of cars, clocks and other antique items is truly worth the visit. He has brought together a remarkable collection. Visitors must call and/or e-mail to schedule prior to arrival.

Festivals and Events:

• Easter Week –

scheduled according to the Catholic calendar year (Easter Holiday). Religious events are held regularly at the Our Lady of Carmel Church and at ‘Passinhos’, local chapels, open to visitors.

• Carmo

da Mata Coffee and Arts Festival – held in September, the nongovernment organization, ICAFE, sponsors shows, art exhibits and local crafts and foods.

• Flicar – held in May. Literature Fair.

• ExpoCarmo – held in the months

of June and July, an enormous farm show and industrial trade show including shows, exhibits and attractions.

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Coronel Farm T

São Francisco de Paula

he town of São Francisco de Paula has a number of properties dedicated to coffee farming. The Colonel Farm is one such property. The farm belongs to Álvaro Augusto Vieira de Campos. The nickname Colonel has long been in the family, from the times of his grandfather and father, thus Álvaro decided to honor the farm with the nickname.

The production of nearly 5,000 sacks per year comes from 150 hectares of Arabica coffee in the varieties Mundo Novo, Catuaí and Yellow Bourbon. The harvest is carried out by machine and exported through a number of co-ops. Álvaro remembers with great satisfaction that when the state began to export coffee, Swiss buyers would only except harvests from the Colonel Farm.

The coffee farmer and his wife, Ângela Maria Guimarães de Campos, live on the farm in a large house, a throw-back to Portuguese colonization. The outside of the house has arcs that resemble Moorish architecture.

The basement was traditionally used to store beans, therefore offering a source of insulation and warmth in the floors of the house during winter. They have now been transformed into a living room, game room and dining room, in addition to a spacious pantry to supply the large kitchen.

Lush gardens and guest houses surround the homestead. An old Bougainvillea, looking like a giant bouquet invites guests to the property. When the flowers fall, they decorate the paths like a wonderful patchwork of art, provided by nature.

Visitors can take a walking tour of the coffee fields and village that the owner has built for employees. In addition to housing, there is also a storage building, a chapel and a small entertainment area.

The homestead has already been the setting for a number of Brazilian TV shows and visitors are given the opportunity to taste some of the farm’s delicious coffee.

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*Bruno Albergaria

SÃO FRANCISCO DE PAULA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 165km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte, take highway BR-381 (South). Take exit to BR-494 and follow to BR-369 to São Francisco de Paula.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Ecotourism – radical sports, kayaking, trails and hiking, waterfalls and motocross competitions.

• Pimonte Park – regional park and hotel.

Festivals and Events:

• Coffee Festival – held in August, featuring a rodeo, farm show and live music.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 31 99965-4997 or e-mail: fazendadocoronel@gmail.com

5555

Cachoeira Farm T

Santo Antônio do Amparo

he town of Santo Antônio do Amparo is also home to the Cachoeira Farm, run by Miriam Monteiro de Aguiar and Rogério Daros. The farm was the first to specialize in the production of ‘unpulped’ coffee, in addition to pioneering techniques in the harvesting of organic coffee. According to the ACOB – Brazilian Association of Organic Coffees, although Brazil is one of the world’s largest coffee producers, organic products are relatively uncommon.

The growth of organic coffee is a very laborious task, and constant supervision is needed to guarantee the efficiency of coffee plantations where soil quality is key and the control of natural enemies is paramount. Fertilizer is prepared using straw, animal waste, dried leaves and broken-down vegetation for composting. “Green” fertilizers are also used, where special plants are placed at the foot of rows of coffee trees. Plant extracts like natural oils and coconut soap, applied to coffee leaves, serve as natural repellents. Another resource is a wooded area in the middle of the plantation that forms a micro-environment with a variety of vegetation in order to

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*Bruno Albergaria

*Bruno Albergaria

attract insects and diseases. This serves as a natural protection system for coffee trees avoiding attacks and dangers.

Organic coffee often brings with it aggregate value. Today, 25 of the 30 hectares of the Cachoeira Farm’s coffee plantation are organic, including 125,000 trees of Arabica coffee in Yellow Catucaí, Icatú, Acaiá and Catiguá. Organic coffee is harvested by hand. Processing is carried out following traditional methods, preferentially drying beans on the ground.

The farm headquarters, a house featuring 4-meter walls and 22 rooms, offer visitors a chance to witness the ritual of grinding fresh, roasted beans and calmly enjoying a freshly-brewed cup of coffee, while taking in and appreciating the various aspects of the beverage: aroma, flavor, body, acidity and balance. The homestead also functions as a farm/hotel where tourists make book a stay.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 35 3863-1518 or e-mail: cachoeirafarm@gmail.com.

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Pinhal Farm

Santo Antônio do Amparo

T

he Pinhal Farm is another property dedicated to coffee farming in Santo Antônio do Amparo, belonging to the lovely couple João Newton Reis Teixeira and Maria Cristina Gabarra Tavares Teixeira.

There are varieties of Mundo Novo, Yellow Bourbon and Topázio, in addition to a relatively new variety of Arabica known as, Arara. The Arara beans are larger than most and are a deep, dark color – almost black – and according to most experts produce an excellent harvest.

One of the techniques used on the Pinhal Farm is known as ‘zero harvest’, a procedure in which crops are harvested by alternating fields. Each year one of the fields is stripped down, in other words, all of the coffee plants are completely pruned by using a particularly precise trimming method. Production only begins a year after pruning and generally produces a more robust harvest. Alternating fields reduces production costs without bringing down the volume of the annual harvest. The coffee is exported to a number of countries. The family also has a roasting mill and beans are packaged, ready for the Brazilian market.

The producers in the area have come together to organize a certificate of origin project for coffees produced in the region. The geography and climate are particularly favorable for specialty coffees.

The homestead has been completely remodeled and wonderfully decorated, offering a panoramic porch that wraps around to the back of the house where visitors are treated to a spectacular view of orchards and a garden that is home to a tree housing hundreds of birds, particularly king canaries.

The “birdhouse tree”, as it is caringly referred to, looks like it grows canaries directly from its branches, resembling the yellow bourbon coffee beans, grown on the property.

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SANTO ANTÔNIO DO AMPARO Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 172km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte, take highway BR-381 (South) and follow to exit for Santo Antônio do Amparo.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Ecotourism – trails and hiking, adventure walks through former farms, hills, rivers and waterfalls. There are a number of farm/hotels established in the region.

Festivals and Events:

• King’s

Festival – held in August, running of the cattle, mass and religious processions.

• Festival for the town’s patron saint – Saint Anthony of Padua – held in July, featuring horse rides and shows, street fairs and events showcasing local foods, crafts and live music.

• Exposan – Santo Antônio do Amparo farm show, held in July.

A farm show

featuring rodeo events, livestock expos and live music.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 35 98426-8369 or e-mail escritório@fazpinhal.com

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Samambaia Farm F

Santo Antônio do Amparo

ollowing Highway BR 381, motorists come upon the town of Santo Antônio do Amparo, located in the western part of the state of Minas Gerais. The picturesque town where we find the Cambraia’s family farm, the Samabaia Farm, tucked into the sprawling hills of coffee plantations.

There are more than a dozen coffee farms located in the town of Santo Antônio do Amparo, producing a variety of specialty coffees. The average altitude of 1,000 meters, coupled with steady rainfall between the months of September and March, make for fertile grounds and minimize the need for irrigation systems. The landscape is excellent for machine harvesting and investments in technology and sustainability guarantee abundant, high-quality harvests in order to meet the demands of growing international markets.

The Samambaia Farm is set out over 940 hectares and is home to some 4 million coffee trees, producing Arabica varieties such as: Yellow Bourbon, Catiguá, MG2, Yellow Icatu, Topázio, Yellow and Red Catucaí, Mundo Novo and Obatã. In 2018, the farm produced 25,000 sacks, a large part of which was exported to countries such as Germany, Australia, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, USA, Italy, Japan, Norway and Switzerland. A portion of the year’s production was roasted and sold on the national market, bearing the Cambraia family brand.

Arabica coffee is widely known for its sweet, intense aroma, varying in acidity, body and flavor thus producing a final product classified as ‘specialty’ or ‘gourmet’ for consumers in Brazil and abroad. The Samambaia Farm coffees are notorious for their sweet, full-bodied flavors, giving off hints of chocolate, caramel and hazelnut.

Although coffee is widely consumed in Brazil, most Brazilians do not know much about

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All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 35 99855-1460 or e-mail: visitas.samambaia@cambraiacafes.com.

the nuances of aromas and flavors of good, specialty coffee. The country is fertile ground offering some of the best conditions for coffee farming, thus producing a beverage that is one of the most widely consumed on the planet. It has often been said that Brazil is on par with the production of fine coffees, like France is championed for its fine wines. The Cambraia family currently maintains a healthy partnership for innovation and technology with the Universidade Federal de Lavras and the IAC – the Campinas Farming Institute (Campinas-SP), seeking to raise awareness in Brazil of the country’s rich production of specialty coffees and their intricate, complex flavor profiles.

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Itapuan Farm - Alfenas 62

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Bela Vista Farm B

Nepomuceno

rother and sister duo, Antônio Lima Reis Júnior – Tony, for short – and Isabela Lima Reis, inherited the Bela Vista Farm from their parents. The property rests in the town of Nepomuceno, found in the South of the state, and has been in the family for centuries.

The homestead was built in 1923 by their grandfather. The pair has maintained the original features of the house, yet have added a kitchen and a porch, with a large inviting table welcoming guests to sit down, rest and think about life. There is a modern chapel in front of the house featuring large windows opening out onto the property gardens.

The average altitude varies from 900 to 1,130 meters, and is home to 1.7 million coffee trees offering varieties such as Bourbon, Acaiá, Yellow and Red Cutuá, Mundo Novo and Arara. Arara is one of the newest varieties of Arabica coffee, producing a yellow bean late in the season. The species is known for an abundant harvest of beans and excellent quality beverage.

Harvesting is carried out mechanically. In 2018, the property produced some 29,000 sacks that were exported to both Europe and the United States. There is an American brand that showcases the Bela Vista Farm’s coffee. The coffee produced on the farm has been awarded a number of certifications.

Tony personally takes care of the coffee fields, closely heeding the lessons he learned from his father and grandfather, Aristides Reis, who defended the use of natural products in farming long before such issues came to the forefront. They preached the use of nutrient-rich organic material in order to fertilize coffee trees using compost from fallen leaves gathered from surrounding wooded areas. The farm now uses chicken manure as a natural fertilizer.

Isabella is in charge of the farm’s administration and focuses her attention on actions that aim to strengthen both the well-being and development of the 40

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permanent employees and their families. She proudly carries on the great work her mother once did – a former teacher in the town of Nepomuceno, known for her support of community projects.

Tony and his wife, Paula Gonçalves Reis, are also actively involved in social programs. The couple and their friends have created the March for Life program and have contributed to a variety of social programs.

NEPOMUCENO Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 238 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG: take highway BR-381 (South). Exit at BR-265 and follow to town.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Former

São José High School – eclectic architecture, currently the CEFET Vocational/Technical School.

• Town Anniversary – held in September – Music and Culture Festival – featuring

shows by local artists. There is also an antique car show and the traditional São Sebastião race.

• All King’s Town Festival – held in January, showcasing live music and dance.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 35 3212-6898 or e-mail: fazendabelavista14@gmail.com.

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Salto

Farm

Carmo da Cachoeira

T

he family of Dr. Fábio Araújo dos Reis was one of the pioneers in coffee farming in Carmo da Mata. For generations, the family has been active in farming since 1863 when the doctor’s great-grandfather planted his first crops.

The family now owns three farms. The Salto Farm, acquired in 1977, is run by three of the children of Fábio and Altina Moreira Reis.

Some 3.5 million coffee trees are planted with Arabica coffee, offering Bourbon, Catucaí, Catuaí, Icatú, Mundo Novo, in addition to a variety known as Acaiá. Specialty coffee is produced on the Salto Farm, holding a number of certifications and garnering awards; the award-winning coffee is exported to a variety of countries, particularly in Europe.

Nearly 150 people, including employees and family members, live on the premises.

The homestead is an extensive, century-old house that has been remodeled and expanded. The back of the house is home to a beautiful porch that offers guests and visitors a chance to share a good cup of coffee to the sound of a fresh-water babbling brook that passes through the property.

After sharing a cup of coffee, Altina often suggests visitors have a brisk walk to reenergize and re-focus in the shade of the flowing trees in the garden.

The family cares for trees that age back to when the house was built. Both Camellias and Jasmine trees bloom, scenting the air over the landscape of elegant, colorful strokes.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephones: +55 98883-4900 or 998877-9007 or e-mail:olmer3@hotmail.com

CARMO DA CACHOEIRA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 230 km.

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How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG and São Paulo-SP, take BR-381 (Fernão Dias) to the town of Carmo da Cachoeira.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Maria Antioneta Rezende Cultural Center.

• Mariano de Figueira Center, Aparições Hills – A retreat community for travelers

in support of free expression and development, seeking inner peace and fraternal citizenship through new states of consciousness in communities. Jose Trigueirinho Netto, philosopher, writer and noted speaker, founded the Figueira Community on the principles of awareness and fraternal, harmonious citizenship.

The community is a non-profit association serving as a cultural, philosophical, humanitarian and environmental center.

Festivals and Events:

• Saint Anthony’s Day – held every year on June 13th

at St. Anthony’s Chapel to honor St. Anthony. There is a festive mass held and participants receive blessings and the sacrament.

• Town Anniversary – held on December 12th, offering a mass, shows, food stalls and a benefit bar.

• Carmo Folia – held in February, during the national Carnival celebration.

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Santa Rosa Farm

T

*Bruno Albergaria

Três Corações/Cambuquira

he rolling lands of the Santa Rosa Farm are divided between the towns of Três Corações and Cambuquira, in the southern part of the state of Minas Gerais. Três Corações is also the birthplace of Edson Arantes do Nascimento – aka the great Pelé. He has been honored with an enormous statue that stands just off the exit into town on Highway 381.

Cambuquira is part of the Minas Gerais Water Circuit, showcasing a water park with six natural springs: sparkling, alkaline, magnesium, sulfurous, iron and lithium waters. The town also prides itself as the place with the best mineral water on Earth! According to popular local lore, the population has the highest lifespan in the country as a result of the healthy properties of the water. A variety of well-known chefs believe the water from Cambuquira is the best drink with which to balance and harmonize their signature dishes.

The Santa Rosa Farm is just a short 5 km from the town of Cambuquira. One of the owners is Mário Lúcio Barros Borges. The geographic location of the region – equidistant from the three most important commercial centers of the country – São Paulo – SP, Rio de Janeiro – RJ and Belo Horizonte – MG, makes for strategic business dealings, as regards coffee. The rich soil and amenable climate make it fertile grounds for citrus orchards such as oranges and tangerines. The land rests on the same water table at the much-visited Water Park.

Coffee trees, planted over 250 hectares, are Arabica, Mundo Novo species. The beans are not as sweet as Bourbon beans, but are abundant and score well on the coffee scale with expert palates. The owner has experimented with a rare variety known as Sabiá Tardio, purplish in hue, robust and resistant to Rust Leaf disease.

Valleys, lakes and sprawling pastures paint a splendid backdrop for the property. In August, Yellow Ipe trees, a symbol of Brazil, explode into wild, vivid blossoms as far as the eye can see.

Mockingbirds, swallows, sparrows and canaries provide constant song to the fields. The porch offers stunning views of landscapes that have inspired paintings on the furniture, featuring an array of colors that nature has to offer: a spectrum of green plants, valleys and hills, the bright yellow Ipês, the orange orbs that decorate the orange and tangerine orchards, the azure blue and milky whites that 68

*Bruno Albergaria

*Bruno Albergaria

streak the sky and the browns and reds that cover the soil. There are shades and tones of red, purple, beige, brown and black that dot the coffee trees, rich and full of life giving inspiration to the name of the farm itself: the Saint Rose Farm (the Santa Rosa Farm).

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 35 3467-0712 or e-mail: fazenda-santarosa@hotmail.com.

TRÊS CORAÇÕES Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 260 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, take highway BR-381 South to the town exit.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Sacred Family Church – a beautiful neo-gothic building.

• 3-Time Champ Monument – statue honoring the 3-time World Cup championship in 1970, led by Pele, located at the Coronel Jose Martins Square.

• Pele’s House – replica of the house where the soccer superstar grew up with timeperiod furnishings and household items.

• Dondinho Municipal Park – leisure area for locals offering sports and leisure activities.

• Godofredo Rangel Cultural Center – houses a collection of photos and historical

memorabilia from the town. There is a small museum and library on the premises.

• Mary Steamer Locomotive – located next to the former railroad station.

The

Baldwin steam locomotive was imported from the United States.

• Another popular tourist destination is the town of Cambuquira, part of the Natural Springs Water Circuit, in the state of Minas Gerais – known for its soothing natural spring waters and spa resort hotels. The Circuit includes towns such as São Lourenço and Caxambu, Baependi, Cambuquira, Campanha, Carmo de Minas, Conceição do Rio Verde, Heliodora, Lambari and Soledade de Minas.

Festivals and Events:

• Expotrês – held in September, farm show offering livestock and industrial farm equipment expos. The event is held at the Vale do Rio Verde Expo Center offering livestock auctions, cattle and horse expos, a rodeo and live music.

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Carmo Estate Farm T

Heliodora

he original name of the farm was the Nossa Senhora do Carmo Farm. Túlio Henrique Renno Junqueira inherited the lands from his father back in 1976. From that moment forward, he and his wife, Lucimar Braga Junqeira slowly purchased neighboring lands, now encompassing the Carmo Estate Farm over 1,000 hectares.

The land owners have set out some 370 hectares for coffee farming, 130 of which are rented out annually. There are more than 70 small-scale producers that live exclusively from coffee farming. The normal rental agreement is for 12 years, and many contracts have been renewed many times over. This system helps to generate jobs on the farms, adding value to both the employment market and social development.

The couple, in addition to offering rental contracts at incredibly fair prices, run a subsidy project and support incentives aiming to ensure prosperity in the community.

Some 47 houses, including a community center and a health center built on the farmlands, have now become a proper neighborhood of the town of Heliodora.

Due to contractual agreement, Túlio may not purchase the coffee produced on the lands. According to him, the main aim is to support small-scale producers in having complete control in their own business endeavors.

The 220 hectares harvested by the farm owners are home to varieties such as Arabica, Catuaí, Mundo Novo, Arara, Acaiá, Icatu and Red and Yellow Bourbon. The final product is exported to the USA, Canada, Asia and Europe. One of the largest roasting houses in Austria has chosen the Carmo Estate Farm’s coffee as an exclusive line to commemorate their 150th anniversary.

The carefully manicured crops from both the owners and share-croppers make up a picturesque mosaic, etched by the rows of coffee trees. The treetops are a stunning vision, intermixed with meticulously planted crops and untouched native Atlantic rainforest.

Development, shared growth, social responsibility and environmental preservation are the pillars on which the Carmo Estate Farm has been built and has continued to thrive.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 35 99982-1288 or e-mail: junqueiratulo@gmail.com.

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HELIODORA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 378 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte, take highway BR-381 to the exit for MG-458 and follow to the town of Heliodora.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Waterfalls – the town is part of the Natural Springs Water Circuit. There are two waterfalls, Pedrão and Altair, near the town.

• Heliodora

Rockies – an area offering mountain climbing and basic camping.

There are also caverns housing archeological sites to be explored.

Festivals and Events:

• Carnival – February/March – street parades and live music throughout the town streets.

• St. Benedict’s Festival – held in May/June, offering street parades, shows, bingo, auctions and food stalls.

• St. Isabel’s Festival – held in July, offering a procession, mass, benefit auctions and livestock auctions, live music and bingo.

• Town Anniversary – held in December, showcasing fireworks and shows on the town square.

• Farmhand’s Festival – held in October, featuring a rodeo, dance and shows with local artists.

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71

Pedra Negra Farm T

Varginha

he Pedra Negra Farm is located in one of the largest coffee-producing towns in the country: Varginha.

The town, located in the south of the state, gained fame as a result of an alien sighting, where three young girls witnessed seeing what would later be coined, ‘the ET of Varginha’. At the time, a number of other UFO and alien sightings were reported in the area, in addition to a news story of an alien being captured. The news quickly traveled around Brazil and the world, eventually landing on the pages of the well-known newspaper, the Wall Street Journal. The town took advantage of the viral fame and built a monument in the shape of a UFO that now welcomes visitors.

As these stories often go, there still remain a number of unanswered questions and mystery in the wake. Some farmers have confirmed seeing aliens, while others wave it off as a publicity stunt by town officials. The owners of the Pedra Negra Farm, the couple José Rezende Pinto Neto and Cristina Siqueira Ribeiro Pinto, prefer to highlight the town’s rich history in coffee farming.

The farm spans over 575 hectares, 220 of which are dedicated to Arabica coffee offering varieties such as Mundo Novo, Catuaí and Yellow Bourbon. Harvesting is handled by machines and beans are dried in mechanized dryers, along with 15,000 m² of cement drying patios and an open-air patio. The harvest in 2018 yielded 5,500 sacks of coffee.

The producer employees the Zero Harvest technique, where trees are thoroughly pruned and trimmed down, rotating fields each year. The 'naked' trees will only begin to produce one year later, refreshed and producing high volumes of fruit.

The farm has been in the family since 1890. The Portuguese-style homestead offers approximately 500 m² and has been completely remodeled. The basement that once served as a storage area for coffee beans has now become a bar and an entertainment room. The wood floors were reconstructed and the antique furniture has been well preserved. Off the side of the main living room there is an altar that looks more like a chapel due to its sheer size.

The rolling hill tops, bursting with lush coffee trees, can be seen from the porch and the large, airy windows, in addition to the the coffee processing plant. An old stone staircase descends to a pool and leisure area where the family entertains friends and visitors with a welcoming cup of coffee in the heart of coffee country.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 35 98861-1368 or e-mail: chrisribeirop@hotmail.com 72

VARGINHA

• Furnas Lake – perfect for a variety of

Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 315 km.

• Varginha UFO – located on the Rio

How to Get There: From Belo HorizonteMG, take highway BR381 South and follow to Varginha.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Vale

Verde Circuit and Falls – adventure and eco-tourism with waterfalls and rafting.

• Zoo

and Novo Horizonte Park – animals, walking tours and picnicking.

• Municipal

Museum – the museum holds the history of the town of Varginha, housed in a former bank.

water sports.

Branco Square.

Festivals and Events:

•

Town Anniversary Celebration – celebrated in October.

• King’s Encounter – held in January, a number of groups come together at the town amphitheater to celebrate King’s Day (January 21) to play music, dance and parade around the town.

• Coffee Festival – held in November

at the Clube Campestre, offering a variety of shows with well-known artists.

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Caxambu Farm T

Três Pontas

rês Pontas, located in the south of the state of Minas Gerais, is just a 50km drive off of highway BR 381, the highway connecting the state of Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The town is known as one of the largest coffee producers is in the country.

The city itself is well-known for its devotion to Father Victor. Father Victor was a parishioner from the second half of the XIX century and the leader of a number of social movements who was ultimately recognized as a blessed figure by Pope Francisco.

The town is also the birthplace of the well-known musician, Wagner Tiso, as well as the childhood stomping grounds for the legendary Milton Nascimento, one of the most famous names in Brazilian music and a member of the legendary Clube da Esquina musical movement. The town hosts both the Milton Nascimento Cultural Center and the Heitor Villa-Lobos Conservatory, honoring the prolific composer and Brazilian Maestro.

Music can also be found in the name of the Caxambu Farm beginning with the name of the farm, drawing influences from African origins in the form of: CAXA (meaning drum) and MBU (meaning music). This was the name of the instrument that slaves often played at dances and the name of the dance performed while playing the drums.

The farmlands belong to the family of Carmen Lucia Chaves de Brito. Ucha, as she is warmly known, graduated in Transpersonal Psychology and has continued her studies in Holistic and Trans-disciplinary approaches. After taking the helm of the family business, she obtained a degree in Coffee Farm Management, graduating as a Q-grader and has taken numerous trips far-and-wide to learn more about the roasting process, in addition to participating in a number of important international events.

The original farming installations have been refurbished and the old stockyards have been preserved. The farm hosts a number of cultural events such as a ‘musical coffee hour’. There is a garden with a lake and lush trees that are home to wildlife such as parrots and toucans.

There is a special room, decorated in the local Mineiro style, where tastings of the farms special blends are held. One such blend is called Honey, named after a sweet regional dessert, peanut brittle, made with peanuts and caramel. The farm also offers two types of special teas – one made from the coffee bean husks and the other made from dried coffee blossoms.

Ucha has a very unique approach in the handling and processing of coffee beans. In her view, the beans – organic, living material – suffers elevated levels of stress. In order to re-energize the beans after having their energy sapped, she has created a unique process.

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*Bruno Albergaria

A lovely stone path leads up to a building with a sign over the door advising visitors: ‘Quiet please! Coffee is resting!’.

Inside of the building, a wave of calm floats over visitors as they enter: it is a veritable ‘music box’!

The environment is temperature-controlled and always kept very clean. One part of the large hall is occupied by pristine, white 600-kg sacks. The deck is lined with enormous ‘cribs’ – bins where tons of coffee beans rest to the sound of Classical and New Age music 24-hours a day, waiting to be shipped to buyers.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 35 3299-2255 or e-mail: contato@fazendacaxambu.com.br.

TRÊS PONTAS

*Bruno Albergaria

Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 297km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte, take BR-381 (South) and follow to exit for town entrance.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area :

• Pontalete

Neighborhood – the shores of the Furnas Lake offer a beach area featuring sports courts, kiosks and restaurants offering local cuisine, in addition to a variety of pubs and bars.

• Três Pontas Mountains – the look-out

point offers visitors a view of the ‘sea’ in the mountains of Minas Gerais. The area offers waterfalls, trails and hiking and historical sites built by slaves.

• Padre

Victor Memorial – museum dedicated to the renowned priest who was canonized in 2015.

Festivals and Events:

*Bruno Albergaria *Bruno Albergaria

• Três Pontas Farmhand Festival – held

in June and July featuring rodeo, live music and a variety of local cuisine.

• All Kings Festival – held in January,

featuring live music and folk dancing – features costumes, special instruments and folk processions.

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Itapuan Farm A

Alfenas

large part of the Itapuan Farm rests along the shores of the Furnas Lake, an artificial lake resulting from the Furnas Hydroelectric dam, locally known as the ‘sea of Minas Gerais’, due to its epic proportions spanning over 1,440 km2. The lands belong to four partners, one of whom occupies the position of Executive Director, José Carlos Munhoz.

The farm was purchased in 1976 and is home to more than 7.6 million Arabica coffee trees, offering varieties such as Rubi, Catauí, Mundo Novo, Bourbon, Catuaí 62, Catuaí and Topázio. The coffee crops rest on 1,616 hectares of the farm’s total area of 2,225 hectares. Over 200 full-time employees tend to the lands, with a temporary migrant staff of some 160 employees brought on during harvest. Despite the large staff, nearly 93% of the harvest is handled by machinery.

The drying patios are laid out over 65,000 square meters, supported by 42 dryers.

Drying of the specialty coffees is carried on suspended drying racks and the beans are stored in 2 large containers divided into 60 compartments.

Buyers from various countries such as the United States, Japan, Norway and Germany come to bask in the beauty of the coffee fields, set against the backdrop of the shimmering lake, and are treated to some of the highest quality coffees produced in the region. The partners are very proud of the neat, tidy lands and take great pride in their work.

The property has been issued the prestigious UTZ certificate for sustainable farming, in addition to Certifica Minas and 4C certificates; the farm has set aside 388 hectares deemed an ecological reserve. According to the Administrative Director, Flávio Dias Moreira, production strictly complies with sustainability standards on all levels: from environmental and resource protection, to preserving and replanting forest lands, in addition to valuing human resources, respect for the workplace and health and safety standards.

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The company’s commitment to international sustainability standards and business ethics has garnered a number of certificates and awards such as the Rural Medal of Merit for good farming practices in the state of Minas Gerais, issued by FAEMG System – the Minas Gerais State Agricultural and Dairy Farming Federation.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 35 3299-2225 or by e-mail: adm@itapuancoffees.com.br.

ALFENAS Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 344 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte, take highway BR-381 (South) to exit for BR-265.

Follow to BR-369 to Alfenas.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Manuel Pedro Rodrigues Park – zoo and

trails, offering volleyball and basketball courts. Visitors can rent paddle boats and canoes to explore the lake.

• Furnas Lake – lakefront leisure area popular for water sports and fishing.

• Getúlio

Vargas Square – gardens, lighted fountains, arts and crafts fair and a theater.

Festivals and Events:

• All King’s Festival and São Sebastião

Festival – held in January. Singing groups go from door-to-door offering specially written songs and verses, accompanied by viola, guitars, accordions, percussion and string instruments. Shows take place on January 5th.

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Monte Alto

T

Farm

Guaxupé

his extraordinary property, tucked among the hills in the south of the state, once belonged to the Baron of Guaxupé, Manuel Joaquim Ribeiro do Valle, the former Lieutenant-Colonel of the National Guard. The farm has been in the Baron’s family since 1890 – the current owner is a descendant. Carlos Henrique Ribeiro do Valle is married to Marina S. Ribeiro do Valle, and the couple have three children.

The farm is home to 800,000 Arabica coffee trees offering varieties such as Bourbon, Icatu, Mundo Novo and Yellow Catuaí planted over 250 hectares. Average altitudes vary between 1,055 and 1,200 meters. The farm produced nearly 3,000 sacks of coffee in 2018. Forecasts have pointed to yields in the areas of some 8,000 sacks for the year 2019 due to additional plants being harvested.

Drying patios span one hectare of land, offering both suspended drying racks and mechanized dryers. Harvesting is carried out both manually and by machine, 40% and 60%, respectively.

A part of production is exported to Japan, the United States and South Korea. On a national scale, the Monte Alto Farm is sold under its own family brand.

Carlos and his wife have invested in the preservation of maintenance of the property. With the support of biologists, they have planted over 3,000 trees, successfully restoring precious regional flora. All of the living quarters on the farm are equipped with waste management recycling systems.

The couple personally handle the daily ins and outs on the Homestead. The basement still boasts the original walls and flooring, however is now used as a living room and game room. All of the bathrooms are quaintly decorated with paintings of flowers and birds that are native to the region. Carlos is an avid collector and displays a number of collector’s items among the original décor, giving an air of elegance, sophistication and comfort to the living quarters.

A sitting area, protected by glass walls and sheer curtains, leads up to a ramp lined with flowers and native jabuticaba* trees. The area opens up onto a large patio overlooking a crystal-clear lake where carp of varying colors perform an aquatic ballet. There is a small beach with fine white sand in front of a small building that bears the trademark Portuguese influence in regional architecture. In truth, the building is a huge room standing 10 x 40 m, showcasing a 4-meter high ceiling, offering washrooms, a kitchen and a pantry.

Beautiful French and English gardens have been harmoniously weaved into the infrastructure surrounding the house including guest homes, a chapel and a museum under construction. Down the side of the house, lined with sweet smelling lavender trees, a Romanesque aqueduct carries water that drives a large water wheel, trickles cool waters into a small pond in the garden down below. There is a series of small waterfalls dotting the gardens.

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Peacocks, both colorful and white, along with scores of guinea hen, freely roam about the gardens providing visitors with a light, heavenly feeling. Along the peaceful paths, visitors are presented a series of breathtaking vistas of the lush coffee plantations atop the rolling hills, framed by winding roads connecting the 40 farmhand houses, painted yellow with bright blue windows. The picturesque scene is scored by the deep brown coffee colors the Baron’s family has produced for generations. *Jabuticaba is a sweet, round fruit famous in the Southeastern region of Brazil. The tree bears fruit only once a year, and is peculiar as small berries grow directly on the tree and branches

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 35 3559-7401.

GUAXUPÉ Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 478 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, take BR-381 South and exit at BR-491. Follow to the town of Guaxupé.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Ecotourism – offering country adventures and a variety of adventure sports.

• Mogiana

Municipal Park – green space offering arts and crafts fairs

and orchid tours.

• Guaxupé

Cathedral – a majestic neo-classic cathedral built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Festivals and Events:

• Guaxupé Farm Show – held in July at the Dr. Geraldo de Souza Ribeiro Expo Center. There is a rodeo, a bull-riding competition, horse expos and shows with well-known artists and performers.

• Our

Lady of Suffering Festival – held in the month of September, offering a procession, arts and crafts expos and live music.

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Onça Farm

Guaranésia

T

he name of the farm draws its origins from the Onça River that passes through the property.

The owner, Heloisa Maria Lima de Freitas, and the managing director, Mário de Freitas Eiras Garcia, are members of the fourth generation of land owners, dating back to the 18th century.

There are 808 hectares, ranging from low-lying brush lands to Atlantic rainforest, laid out over hilly terrain ranging from 850 to 1,100 meters – ideal terrain and altitude for the farming of Arabica coffees, offering varieties such as Catuaí, Mundo Novo, Catucaí, Icatu and Acaiá. The coffee crops cover some 108 hectares of land, while nearly 220 hectares have been set aside to maintain untouched native forest lands.

The farm employs a regular staff of 40 full-time employees. Some 70% of the harvest is handled by machine; while manual harvest relies on temporary migrant workers hired seasonally.

The beans are separated by harvesting machinery according to density. The lighter beans are beans that have ripened while still on the bush, thus float when placed into water, hence earning the propitious name Boia (Floating) Coffee. Ideally, these coffee beans are dried in the open air on drying patios, until they reach the perfect body and aroma. Therefore, the Onça Farm has designed over 10,000 square meters of patios for this purpose.

After proper washing, mechanized dryers remove the husks from the coffee cherries. This specific type of coffee, indicative of the South of the state of Minas Gerais, has long been gaining market share and acclaim for its medium acidity, very similar to coffees grown in Central America. The Onça Farm produced more than 6.6 million sacks of coffee, harvested from some 1 million 80

coffee trees in 2018, exported through a number of co-ops to countries such as Italy, Germany and the United States.

Unripe, green beans are hulled only after they have been dried out, and also provide a much smoother, yet flavorful beverage than Boia Coffee.

The farm has received a number of producer’s awards, in addition to the prestigious UTZ certification for sustainable farming. According to the farm owners, harmony between agriculture and the environment is at the core of the Onça Farm and their success.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 35 99756-5005 or by e-mail: contato@fazendadaonça.com.br.

GUARANÉSIA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 428 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte, take highway BR-381 to BR-050. Exit at MG-446 and follow to BR-265. Exit at BR-146 and follow to the town of Guaranésia.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Guaranésia Town Museum – museum

housing the history of the town, located on the main town square, José Teixeira de Moraes Square.

• Santa

Barbara Church – located on the Coronel Paula Ribeiro Square. The church is home to beautiful stained glass windows, part of the town’s rich history.

Festivals and Events:

• Santa

Barbara Festival – held in December, offering mass, processions, a cattle auction and festivities.

• Guarafolia

– held in February/ March. Street Carnival with live music and shows.

• Garlic and Carriage Festival – held in June, featuring local cuisine and live music.

• Town

Anniversary – held in September, showcasing a parade, antique car show, horse ride and live music featuring guitar.

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Piedade Farm T

Campestre / Serrania

he Piedade Farm sits divided between the towns of Campestre and Serrania, owned by Olga Maria Ferreira Tavares and her children, Luciana, Cláudia, Júlio and Eunice. Luciana and Júlio both handle the family’s business interests and daily administrative duties, in addition to another property the family owns, located in the Minas Highlands.

A total area of 270 hectares of the Piedade Farm’s 634 hectares are used for coffee farming, home to varieties such as Mundo Novo, Arara, Catuaí 2 SL and Acauá Novo.

Harvesting is handled by both machines, in the lower lying regions, and by hand on the hilltops, employing some 110 workers. Drying of the beans is carried out in rotating and vertical dryers, as well as drying patios on the farm. The final product is sold to both cooperatives and storage outfits. In 2018, production reached 14,000 sacks, considered an excellent year by the owners.

In fact, it was truly a remarkable year for Brazilian coffee farmers. According to the National Board of Supply (Conab), the 2018 harvest topped 61.7 million sacks of Arabica and Conilon coffee. These numbers represent a 37% increase in production levels from the previous year, in addition to a record high, surpassing the former 2016 record by 10 million sacks.

The stellar performance was fueled by positive weather conditions, healthy crops, increases in overall technology and the use of the most productive varieties/cultivars

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on the market, as well as irregular crop loads, surpassing annual forecasts in this year’s Arabica harvest.

Arabica production was up by 38.6% this year, maxing at 47.5 million sacks. These numbers have once again positioned Brazil at the top of world coffee production lists. Minas Gerais accounts for more than half of the national production, registering 32.97 million sacks of Arabica coffee last year.

Having accumulated a great deal of experience over the years, the staff at the Piedade Farm are forecasting a reduced harvest in 2019. According to the experts, this is a natural process in coffee farming: after record harvests, there is almost always a decline in production – however this is often offset by higher prices per sack than in increased harvest years.

The Piedade Farm also plant eucalyptus trees, cattle for the meatpacking industry, as well as renting out lands for the harvest of a variety of other grains.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 35 3721-3064 or e-mail: godoycoffees@hotmail.com.

CAMPESTRE Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 422 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte: take highway BR381 (South). Exit at BR-267 and follow to the town of Campestre.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Pedra Grande – motorcycle, bicycle

and hiking trails. Visitors are treated to breathtaking vistas of the area from atop the rock.

• ATV

Tours – trail riding on allterrain vehicles through mountains, hills and waterfalls.

Festivals and Events:

• Coffee

Festival – held in April, showcasing coffees and local cuisine.

• Town Anniversary – held in August, featuring a road race, bike tour, Mass and live music and shows.

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Guima Farm - Patos de Minas 84

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Esperança Farm R

Carmo do Paranaíba

esting at an altitude of 1,100 meters, the Esperança Farm is rich with natural springs and bursting with both plant and animal life. The farm sits on 220 hectares of land, some 82 of which are dedicated to the planting of Arabica coffee offering Yellow and Red Catuaí, 144B and Acaiá. Both Arara and Bourbon varieties have also been recently planted.

The owners of the property, the Veloso family, have a long history in coffee farming, acquring eight properties spread throughout the Carmo do Paranaíba region, totaling some 42,000 hectares. The family is involved from the initial stages of planting, to the final steps of storage and exporting of coffee. In 2018, 3,200 sacks of coffee were sent to Europe, North America and South Korea. Harvesting is carried out by machine, but some of the specialty coffees are still harvested by hand.

The group was originally set up by the grandfather of Paulo Veloso dos Santos. Paulo is married to Eremita Barcelos Veloso. The couple have four children, all of whom are active in the family business. Paulo Junior handles the commercial area; Haroldo is in charge of Production; Viviane sits on the Board and represents the family interest; while Virginia heads up the Human Resource Department – in charge of nearly 500 employees.

The group is currently implementing a marketing strategy led by Virginia’s husband, Daniel Sarte Moselle. The project has been designed to create new brands for Café Veloso, supported by tastings, courses, trade fairs and expos, in addition to a variety of other activities. According to Paulo Junior, the aim is to increase awareness of specialty coffee brands produced in Brazil that are still relatively unknown within the internal market, where most are currently exported. Another goal is to increase brand awareness and valuation of Brazilian coffee on the international market.

Virginia and her husband have remodeled the 19th century homestead and have added a dining room and kitchen, in addition to modernizing the home with a leisure area, complete with a pool, barbecue area and full kitchen.

Visitors are treated to specialty coffee tastings paired with excellent local cheeses, another delicacy from the region. It is a special moment to sit back and unwind with the soothing tastes and aromas of coffee that the family has proudly produced for over half a century.

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CARMO DO PARANAÍBA Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 362 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, follow BR262 to BR-352. Continue to the town of Carmo do Paranaíba.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Our

Lady of Carmel Church – Located on São Francisco Square, a hallmark setting for the town.

• Madre Paulina Lake/Sanctuary.

Festivals and Events:

• Town Luau – held in March or April.

• Laborer’s Festival – held in August.

• Coffee Festival – held in October, including shows, a rodeo and food court.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 34 99947 0188.

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Lajinha Farm T

Presidente Olegário

he Lajinha Farm belongs to one of the first farmers to bring coffee farming to the Cerrado (highlands) region of the state of Minas Gerais. Francisco Pinheiro de Campos set up in the region in 1976, and has dedicated the farm’s efforts to planting Arabica coffee ever since. He was the first farmer to plant budding coffee bushes on the Lajinha Farm, a property that sits at altitudes ranging from 900 to 1,070 meters.

There are 800 coffee trees, 200 of which offer Catuaí varieties. The farm is currently planting new varieties of Arabica coffee in the form of Mundo Novo.

The crops on the farm are known to produce acidic, fruity flavors – a fan favorite in the coffee-drinking world, due to the type of soil and the warm days and cool nights.

Crops require regular irrigation since rainfall is scarce in the region. Conversely, the region has the perfect climate for drying coffee in the open air on large drying patios.

Harvesting is carried out by machinery, thus reducing production costs, and the farmer uses recycling practices to produce fertilizers.

Francisco often boasts of the importance of the Cerrado region in coffee farming.

The farms in the region are famous for their cutting-edge harvesting processes and use of technology in farming, therefore bringing fame to the region in Brazil as the first to be issued Certificates of Origin for coffee produced in the area. The area, once considered unmanageable for agriculture, today produces over 10 million sacks of coffee a year, in addition to prominent orchards that produce mangoes, pineapples and guava, as well as tomatoes and grains, particularly corn and beans.

The Lajinha Farm headquarters and homestead are home to manicured gardens, carefully looked after by the farmer’s wife, Maria Inês Guimarães de Campos, along with her gardening staff. She personally chooses the flowers and plants that are best suited for the climate: breath-taking Agave attenuata, also known as Dragon Agave or Swan’s Neck – line the driveway leading up to the homestead.

One area of the garden has been specially planted to form an altar in honor of Saint Francis of Assis. It features flowers and statues of birds and other wildlife in honor of the great saint.

She is also very proud of her desserts, a true sweet-toother’s delight! Candied orange peels are often placed on the saucer to accompany the unique coffee produced on the farm, offering a one-of-a-kind flavor combination. It’s truly something special to try freshly brewed coffee with a slice of fresh Minas cheese, smothered in Maria Inês’ homemade orange marmalade – a sweet treat to greet visitors on the farm.

The culinary trifecta…cheese, sweets and coffee – rich heritage of the state of Minas Gerais!

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PRESIDENTE OLEGÁRIO Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 415 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, take highway BR-262. Exit at BR-354 and follow to the town of Presidente Olegário.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Lake on Manoel Antonio Dias Town

Square – There is a small ornamental lake and walking/running paths.

• St. Rita Cássia Church Square – The

space offers a gazebo, gardens and benches for visitors.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 34 3821-7211 or e-mail: fazendalajinha@terra.com.br.

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São João Grande Farm

T

Presidente Olegário

he two farms owned by Eduardo Pinheiro Campos span over 2,000 hectares, on which 622 are home to some 3 million coffee trees. The farm employs 93 permanent employees, along with 90 temporary laborers that are hired during harvest. The average annual production is 26,000 sacks which are shipped off to markets in Japan, Italy and the United States.

Irrigation is handled by four large pivots and a drip system, where coffee trees are drip fed by a network of hoses that run along the base of the plants. Eduardo explains that the use of pivots benefits in washing off the leaves, thus reducing plagues and insects; while the drip system also has the advantage of consuming less water.

Independent of the methods employed, the irrigation systems are controlled by computers in order to avoid wasting essential water resources. They automatically start up sprinkler systems when the weather conditions require watering and the soil begs for moisture.

The farm offers Arabica coffee in varieties such as Yellow Bourbon, Red Catuaí, Catucaí, IAC 125 and IPR 100 which are dried by mechanized dyers or spread over drying patios.

There is a unique space set up for fermenting specialty coffees equipped with six stainless steel drums – the only one of its kind in the country. The project was modeled around a system used in Costa Rica and was developed in partnership with the Federal University at Lavras. The drums ferment 350 kg of coffee cherries in a process that takes from 12 to 30 hours. The residuals are used as fertilizer throughout the plantations.

The owner also raises cattle and Mangalarga Marchador horses on the farm.

The headquarters of the farms sits up on a hilltop and features an entertainment and tasting area. The house is surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, bursting with Flamboyant, or Royal Poinciana, trees lining a roadway through the farm and around a large lake.

Over a year ago Eduardo launched his whole bean and ground coffee on the market, and has already garnered an award: the packaging was voted the most beautiful in the world in the coffee sector. The coffee farmer is proud to be recognized and has made an effort to remember his roots in naming his farms – Dona Nenem refers to his mother’s nickname, the original owner of the farmlands.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 34 99913-2070 or e-mail: renato@donanenem.com.br

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PRESIDENTE OLEGÁRIO Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 415 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, take highway BR-262. Exit at BR-354 and follow to the town of Presidente Olegário.

Festivals and Events:

• Local Cuisine Festival – the event has been held in July for over 30 years at the Antônio Secundinho de São Jose Expo Center. The event offers visitors hundreds of local dishes and cuisine. The festival is part of a larger town event, the Harvest Festival, which offers shows, a rodeo and other entertainment.

9191

Guima Café Farm

Varjão de Minas / Patos de Minas

T

he São Lourenço, Brasis and Santa Rita farms are neighboring farms, all belonging to the Guimarães family group. Guima Café are the coffees produced on the lands. Over 40 years ago, Flávio Pentagna Guimarães bet on the abundance of the highlands of Minas Gerais and planted the farm’s first coffee fields. His son, João Guimarães now carries on the tradition and sits at the head of the family business.

Coffee farming is driven by the combination of favorable geography and fair weather offered by the towns of Varjão de Minas and Patos de Minas.

Crops are spread over 900 hectares of the farm’s total area of 1,650 hectares. Nearly 4.3 million coffee plants produce an annual harvest of over 40,000 sacks of Red and Yellow Bourbon, Paraíso 2, Catuaí, Catucaí, Mundo Novo, Tupi RN and Icatu. Coffee production is shipped off to international markets such as Germany, USA, Italy and Japan.

The farms boast well-known international production certificates such as the UTZ and Rainforest Alliance Certified certificates. Quality is guaranteed by careful planning and control throughout the many stages of production. The coffee crops are irrigated solely by drip systems, which favor uniform humidity of the beans. Water is taken from enormous reservoirs found on the lands.

The entire harvesting process is carried out by machine. Drying of the beans is carried out in 40,000 m³ drums and 15 dryers. Wood containers hold up to 10,000 sacks of coffee.

A large part of the labor on the farm is carried out by women. They are directly involved in every detail from planting to administrative activities. Lucimar Silva, a specialist in coffee farming, oversees operations on the three farms. Another important administrative post is held by a woman, the agricultural director, Mariana Caetano Polcaro, handling everything from Planning to Marketing, Sales and Exports.

Coffee farming was brought to the São Lourenço Farm in 1979, and the farm replanted new crops in 2007, upgrading many fields to specialty coffees, aiming to expand into new markets and carefully follow social and environmental standards, implementing efficient production systems and work conditions.

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A modern, eye-catching headquarters is in its final stages of construction on the farmlands, and will offer a cafeteria, meeting rooms, offices and apartments. The house is surrounded by the Visitors Forest, where guests are invited to plant their own trees.

There are also fields shaded by rubber trees; a hidden oasis that spans throughout the fields offering visitors reprieve from the heat of the region.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone +55 33 3331-3490 or e-mail: comercial@guimacafe.com.br.

PATOS DE MINAS Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 415 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, take highway BR-262 to BR-352. Follow to the town of Patos de Minas.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Mocambo

Park – Beautiful leisure areas including lakes, water bikes, hiking and footpaths, gardens, restaurant and green spaces.

• Lake

Area – A series of lakes and ponds in the town offering excellent

services such as scenic walking paths, bars and snack bars.

• The town is famous for its cornbased snacks and desserts such as corn bread, corn pudding, cream of corn, corn muffins and cakes.

Snacks and desserts are readily available in restaurants, cafés and specialty shops.

Festivals and Events:

• Fenamilho – a highly publicized and

much-awaited annual event, held in May. The festival celebrates corn farmers and culture. There is a wide variety of shows, expos, local cuisine and a fun-run, in addition to other entertainment.

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Alegria Farm T

Patrocínio

he name of the Alegria Farm can be fully understood by anyone arriving at the farm's headquarters – the sensation is palpable while winding up on a small road lined with bamboo trees that come together looking like a cathedral hall constructed by nature. At the end of the roadway a smooth slope, covered by manicured lawns leads up to the homestead porch. The headquarters has a pool and a space dedicated for tasting coffee produced on the premises.

Another attraction on the property is a lake that sits 715 m away from the house.

Visitors are welcome to sit on sprawling lawns that surround the lake and look out over the native forests.

The owner of the farm, Marcelo Queiroz Carneiro, employs a couple who handles all of the farm’s administrative details. Adalgisa Emílio Santos handles the Administrative Department and Human Resources, while her husband, Can Robert Douglas dos Santos, is in charge of the fields and processing coffee.

He watches over 1.3 million Arabica coffee trees offering Acaiá, Icatu, Mundo Novo and Catuaí. The farm has recently added Bourbon plantations to its crops. Coffee trees are planted over 270 of the farm’s total area of 369 hectares. The farm yielded 15,000 sacks in 2018.

Machines handle a large part of the harvesting process, only beans that fall to the ground through the rows of coffee trees are picked up manually. The drying patios total 11,000 m².

The farm employs the Zero Harvest technique, which has been explained in previous chapters, applied to approximately 30 hectares per year. The “naked” trees resemble bare Christmas trees. The cone-shaped design allows for ample sunlight which is as important to the coffee plant as the soil, climate and altitude. Irrigation systems are handled by both drip and pivot systems.

The firm has been issued various certifications. In 2016, the farm scored 99.4 on the Reforest certification scale. It is no small achievement since there are only five farms in the world that have been issued 100 points. The challenge now is to maintain the farm’s impeccable quality standards in order to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of the specialty coffee market.

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PATROCÍNIO Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 393 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, take BR-262 (direction of Triângulo Mineiro). Exit on to MG-187 and follow to MG-230 to town of Patrocíno.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Santa

Luzia Square – square featuring the town church and fountains.

• Municipal

Museum Professor Hugo Machado da Silveira – musem housing famous town documents,

natural history, time period wardrobe, machines and tools used throughout history in the region.

• Cruzeiro Mountain Range – lookout point and vista of the town with Christ the Redeemer statue.

• Waterfalls

(dos Borges, da Terra, dos Dourados) - trails and hiking, including bike, motorbike and car trips.

Festivals and Events:

• Expopatrô – held in July – farm show with rodeo, equestrian competitions, auctions and shows.

• Coffee

Festival – held in April – featuring a rodeo, fireworks and live music.

All visits should be previously scheduled by telephone: +55 99982-1225 or e-mail: leonardopalharescardoso@gmail.com

9595

Rio Brilhante Farm O

Coromandel

riginally from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Inácio Carlos Urban arrived in the Cerrado (Highlands) region of the state of Minas Gerais is in 1976 with little more than a handful of big dreams and a healthy work ethic. One year later, he purchased his first farm in the town of Presidente Olegário and began planting soy beans.

He acquired the Rio Brilhante Farm in 1984, totaling 1,130 hectares and dedicated the lands to coffee farming. The farm, set an altitude of 1,100 meters, is located within the town of Coromandel, a micro-region, known as swamplands due its extremely moist soil, found in the Brazilian Cerrado. The few areas that require irrigation are serviced by large pivot systems or drip systems.

Over the years the farmer purchased other properties, set up a leading group in the food services sector, and is now the largest grain and cotton producer in the state of Minas Gerais. The group’s slogan “tomorrow comes from the soil” has been a longtime motto for Inácio , who runs the family group. His children are also part of the business and continue to carry on the same entrepreneurial and innovative spirit.

There are over 7 million Arabica coffee trees, offering Yellow and Red Catuaí, Catucaí, Acaiá, Yellow and Red Bourbon, Topázio and Arara. The harvest from 2018 registered 65,000 sacks distributed among the national market, in addition to exports to Japan, the USA, Australia and South Korea. The farm recently set aside 27 hectares designated strictly for organic crops. The first harvest is 96

forecast for two years.

The group invests in researching new technologies in order to manage crops.

The farm is equipped with 14 rotating dryers and five drying patios spanning over 33,000 m².

The coffee produced by the Urban family has garnered a number of awards and important certifications such as the Rain Forest Alliance seal, a seal of approval for producers complying with strict ecological, economic and social criteria.

In addition to the special care that is invested in harvesting and processing coffee, the

group also seeks to improve staff quality of life and professional skills, in order to guarantee quality and excellence in coffee farming.

All visits should be a previously scheduled by telephone: +55 34 3822-9950 or e-mail: erika@grupofarroupilha.com.

COROMANDEL Distance from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state capital: 488 km.

How to Get There: From Belo Horizonte-MG, follow BR-262 to BR187. Continue to exit for BR-265 to MG-188 and follow to Coromandel.

Main Attractions in the Town/Area:

• Mountain biking and motocross trail riding – Serrinha Trails.

• Waterfalls

and adventure sports such as canoeing – Buracão, Fumaça and Fábio Falls.

Festivals and Events:

• Farm

Festival – held in June, the event celebrates agriculture, farming and country life. The event offers a mass, shows by famous country artists and cattle show/parade.

• Expocoró – held in July, the event held its 38th annual celebration in 2018, offering shows, rodeo events and an arts and crafts fair.

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Acknowledgements Many thanks to those people who have been with us for the last 12 months on the quest to seek out the most remarkable farms around the great state of Minas Gerais. It has been a pleasure to meet the people who have made, continue to make and will always be at the core of a warm, welcoming cup of coffee, traveling far and wide to millions of people around the world.

We would like to extend a special thanks to: Our families that have supported us from the beginning and have dealt with our absence on weekends, when we were hitting the road, hunting down hidden farms and treasures around the state.

Carolina de Oliveira Pereira Pimentel, for understanding the importance of this travel guide for the local economy and for her steadfast support.

Our sponsors for their continued support and trust.

Without them, none of this would be possible.

All of the service providers and partners that have shared in the creation of this work; for their skills and hard work, that have helped bring this grand journey through the coffee country in Minas Gerais to life.

We would like to send a special thanks out to all of the farm owners and farm workers that contribute on a daily basis to the growing and harvesting of our ‘green gold’.

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Certificates Quality certificates and international certifications are fundamental in order to successfully increase brand awareness and guarantee quality assurance, both nationally and internationally.

Certificates guarantee the origins and quality assurance at each step of the production process, taking into consideration product quality and standards, in addition to respect for sustainable production methods and environmental awareness. Therefore, these certificates ensure customer satisfaction and bring a wide range of benefits to the producers, adding value of up to 10% on the final price of the product.

Coffee farming sits at the forefront of the Brazilian agricultural stage, boasting the highest quality standards and procedures according to international regulatory groups. All of the farms represented in this travel guide are proud to have attained one, or more, of these important quality assurance certificates. Key certificates include: • Rainforest Alliance Certified: the seal is issued to farms that follow the pillars of sustainability – social, economic and environmental standards – farms are audited regularly to verify that farmers are complying with the standard’s comprehensive requirements, which require continual improvement on the journey to sustainable agriculture. These standards were designed by the Sustainable Agriculture Network, made up of international and independent conservation groups.

• UTZ Certified: this is one of the main certificates issued to coffee farms on the international market, covering production

100

standards in good agricultural practices, social and living conditions, farm management and the environment. The certificate recognizes responsible production practices seeking to ensure not only quality assurance, but also worker wellbeing encompassing issues such as employee living conditions, training, health and education. Independent auditors annually visit farms to ensure good practices and issue certificates and recertification. • Fair Trade Coffee: this certificate ensures that farms follow fair trade practices such as open dialogue, transparency and respect among partners, seeking to guarantee equal opportunities on the international market. Partners bearing the certificate must comply with sustainable development practices. The certificate seeks to guarantee social benefits by connecting responsible production practices and ethical consumers. • Minas Certified: this certificate is supported by the Minas Gerais state government, overseen by the Minas Agricultural Institute (IMA) and Emater-MG. The seal guarantees compliance with good global business practices, good farming practices throughout the entire farming process, in addition to following strict environmental and workplace standards.

Coffee is the main export in the agriculture sector in the state of Minas Gerais and coffee products are sold in over 60 countries around the world.

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Credits Selection of farms: Patrícia Soutto Mayor Assumpção Texts: Clesio Barbosa Cover: Rafael Miranda Barbosa Photography and Art Direction: Clesio Barbosa Patrícia Soutto Mayor Assumpção Photography*: Odilon Názaro Nicolau (*) Bruno Albergaria Graphic design: Leandro Godinho Editor: Soraia Vasconcelos Revision: Patrícia Alves da Cruz Mauro

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Translation: Tyler Gerard Golembeski Research Assistant: Isabela Vieira Trópia Silva Project Management: Neoplan Grupo de Desenvolvimento Government Initiatives Consultant: Francisco Caram Publisher: Rona Eitora Distribution: Mentoria Comunicação e Marketing OBSERVATION: Festivals, events and tourist sites cited herein have been provided within this guide book as general information. Visitors are advised to seek out more appropriate information before traveling. The authors are not responsible for the quality of services and products provided, for rescheduling and cancellation of dates and/or any issues that may impede access to attractions, events or farms herein included.

Caxambu Farm - Três Pontas 103

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Itapuan Farm - Alfenas 105

Book Information Copyright © by Clesio Barbosa e Patrícia Soutto Mayor Assumpção April/2019 Mentoria Comunicação e Marketing Ltda All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form, without the express written consent of the publisher.

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Brazilian ISBN Agency 978-65-80345-00-7 Barbosa, Clesio Assumpção, Patrícia Soutto Mayor Rota do café – Fazendas de Minas Gerais Mentoria, 2019 216 páginas, 15 x 21cm ISBN 978-65-80345-00-7

*Bruno Albergaria

This book was printed at Rona Editora, on 90g/m² Pólen Bold paper, using Aleo Font. The cover is 250g/m² coated paper, using Modish font.

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