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Located on the mountain range of southern Minas Gerais, in the Municipality of Olímpio Noronha, State of Minas Gerais, Fazenda Santo Antônio belonged to Virgílio Dias Pereira, and was later divided among his children.
On the part that was inherited by Aluízio Pereira de Castro and his wife, Júlia Maria Pereira de Castro, there was great interest in continuing to plant the C. arabica (Yellow Bourbon), which not only adapted well but also developed fully in the farm because of the quality of the soil, altitude (1,350m), climate and location.
The excellent quality of the coffees produced in the farm can be evidenced by the results obtained in the previous editions of the Cup of Excellence. Furthermore, it is a sustainable cultivation, and a virgin rain forest occupies 30% of the property. The water sources are preserved in the whole extension of this area.
The employees are registered according to Brazilian employment and labor laws. They live in spacious houses of the farm, with good infrastructure: running water, electricity and sewage. They have assistance in the areas of health care and education, and there is a fully equipped school, with dental office, and a multi-sport court (with restrooms and lockers, bleachers and lighting), where they practice sports and train, and where some regional championships take place.
Everything is done in order for the employees of the farm to live comfortably and to have a good quality of life, thus encouraging them to continue in the rural area.
Coffee processing system
Part of the coffee produced in Fazenda Santo Antônio is processed by the wet pulped natural system. Because of the rough topography and high altitude of the farm, coffee is totally hand picked and on cloth. Immediately after it is washed, pulped and spread on cemented patios, where the beans are constantly raked during the drying process and then placed in bins where they rest for a good period.
Concern with quality
The owners are always concerned with the excellence of their coffees. They invest constantly in natural resources preservation and in their employees’ quality of life.
Since they are well aware that the quality of the soil and the altitude are essential for the production of good quality coffees, choosing the right type of coffee to plant and the land where it will be cultivated is one of their main concerns. They use the adequate techniques to pick and dry the property’s coffee, in order to obtain a product that complies with the most demanding consumer’s demands. An agronomist provides technical assistance and supervision.
All the coffee picked in the property is sent to COCARIVE – Cooperativa Regional dos Cafeicultores do Vale do Rio Verde [Vale do Rio Verde Coffee Growers Regional Cooperative], in Carmo de Minas – State of Minas Gerais, where it is store until the time it is sold.
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