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The Pellicer family arrived in Brazil from Italy in 1875, from the regions of Cremona, Santo Antonio de Paula and Azalo, Province of Treviso. Since their arrival they have been working in coffee production farms. The first to cultivate coffee in this same farm was Luciano Pellicer in 1901.
Subsequently, his son Fortunato Pellicer, his grandson José Pellicer, and since 1988 a partnership was established between José Pellicer and his son Carlos Alberto de Paiva Pellicer.
The farm is at an altitude between 850 and 1150 meters, and the areas above 950 meters are dedicated to the production of "highland coffees". High quality coffee production is privileged by the climate of this special micro-region referred to as Tanquinho.
Environmental preservation
The farm grew always having a great concern to maintaining the environmental preservation areas, maintaining hi this micro-region the largest natural rain forest with several hardwood species such as Jequitibá Rosa, Óleo Bálsamo, Peroba Rosa, Cedro, Guarita, Figueira, Marinheiro and a large quantity of Native Palm trees. The tree trunks have up to 11 meters in diameter.
The water preservation and the preservation of native species are developed since the Pellicer family pioneers arrived in Brazil. The areas that were acquired later underwent a preservation treatment to recover their preservation bases. Fazenda Barreiro is working towards its ISO 14000 certification.
Social responsibility
Currently, there are 18 families working at Fazenda Barreiro. Eleven families live in the farm. There are 72 persons that are indirectly benefited by the services provided in the farm. Children including teenagers of those families go to school and only start working after they are 16 years old.
At harvesting time, the number of hired employees reaches 110. There is a Constant concern in creating opportunities for Afro-Brazilians, women and individuals over 50 years old.
Coffee processing system
Coffees are picked on cloth, washed with crystal mineral water and the beans are separated according to their maturity. Cherry coffees are sent to the automated mechanical depulper and then transferred to tanks with clean water, where they stay for 14 hours. The coffees are stirred every four hours.
The beans that float are removed and transferred to the concrete terrace in layers 3 cm tick. They are turned 20 times a day until they arrive at their right level of humidity, when the thickness is increased as the coffee becomes dryer, until it reaches 20 cm. Subsequently they are arranged in lines and covered with plastic canvas during the night until the beans are dry and their humidity reaches 11º C.
After drying the coffees are bagged and sent to the storage bins, where they remain in pergamino for at least 60 days. Subsequently they are cleaned in the processing equipment and separated by screens. From this stage in processing the coffees are separated according to the produced lots and delivered to Cooxupé - Monte Santo Nucleus - where they are reprocessed and commercialized.
Concern with quality
There is a Constant concern with quality. However, since 2000, when Cooxupé expanded its dedication towards obtaining high quality coffees and the specialty coffee contests, Fazenda Barreiro counts with specialized guidelines and supervision.
The detailed monitoring by Ms. Maria Aparecida de Paiva Pellicer (D. Nanete) - who participates in the Entrepreneurial Women Development Program of Cooxupé - was extremely important for the farm's employees to strictly follow the details of each phase of the process, from coffee harvesting to processing.
Fazenda Barreiro is a firm believer that the activities developed by Cooxupé and BSCA bring to producers the opportunity of developing sustainable production together with technology, respect to the environment and social responsibility. Fazenda Barreiro is working toward obtain its ISO 9000 certification.
Varieties
Several varieties of coffees are cultivated at Fazenda Barreiro. Initially, most of the coffees planted at the farm had its origin in small trees removed from the Forest and replanted. The coffees were of non-determined varieties, but were defined at Yellow Bourbon, Red Bourbon and Maracugi.
Subsequently, the Catuaí and Mundo Novo varieties were planted. Recently, during the last four years, the farm began to plant varieties that resist rust, such as Iapar, Catucaí, Icatu, Obatan and Acaiá. Tests are being carried out with the varieties Rubi and Topázio.
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