Brazil
Cerrado Mineiro
Valdir Eugênio de Souza
Fazenda Chapadão de Ferro lugar Lagoa
Mundo Novo
Natural
May–August
Milk Chocolate, Red Apple, Orange
1100 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Valdir Eugênio de Souza has produced coffee since 1995, following in the tradition of his family’s generations. His farm, Fazenda Chapadão de Ferro lugar Lagoa, is a true example of a family-run business, with every family member playing a vital role in all of the stages involved in coffee cultivation.
Valdir Eugênio’s farm is located in Chapadão de Ferro, an area considered by some to be a privileged coffee growing region. Within Cerrado, there are many microregions that present unique characteristics in the cup. The Chapadão de Ferro microregion is a small town with farms situated around the cone of a partially formed volcano. Farms here are at higher elevations above 1100 meters and coffee is harvested a month or two later than in other parts of Cerrado Mineiro.
To ensure quality, Valdir Eugênio employs good practices at every step. He carefully manages each plot to guarantee that every action is executed with skill. He insists on only harvesting ripe cherries, and drying them slowly and evenly on his drying patios. He uses both “volcano” drying, in which cherries are piled into pyramid shapes resembling volcanos, as well as spreading cherries into thick layers, resulting in efficient drying.
Valdir Eugênio says that his coffee journey is not just about growing coffee but about preserving a tradition, honoring the land, and producing a cup of coffee that is a true celebration of flavor and quality. His tireless dedication is a tribute to his love for coffee and his family’s legacy of experience, passion, and commitment to excellence in coffee farming.
This lot of Mundo Novo coffee underwent Natural processing. Mundo Novo is the product of a natural cross between Sumatra and Red Bourbon, discovered in the municipality of Mineiros do Tietê, São Paulo in 1943. Seeds from one of these trees were planted in the municipality of Mundo Novo, now called Urupês, in Sao Paulo state. Various lines of the plant were cultivated here, undergoing selection for positive characteristics. The results of this cultivation were finally distributed to farmers beginning in 1952, with new selections by the IAC (Agronomic Institute of Campinas) beginning in 1977.
The Cerrado Mineiro region, located in northwest of Minas Gerais State, is a world-recognized, high-quality coffee producing origin and became the first Protected Geographical Indication in Brazil in 2005, with full Designation of Origin in 2013. A strong characteristic of this region is its well-defined seasons—a hot, wet summer followed by a pleasantly dry winter. The dry climate during harvest eliminates potential problems with humidity during the drying process.
Minas Gerais is Brazil’s principal agricultural state, and the Cerrado is home to many of the country’s celebrated coffee estates, with expertise in planting, harvesting, drying, and sorting. We love Cerrado coffees for their big body, rich chocolate notes, and velvety texture when pulled as espresso.
Today, the area’s 4,500 farmers produce a combined average of 6 million bags per harvest, with an average of 35 bags per hectare. To reach these production levels, producers had to first adapt to the region’s conditions. Coffee farmers first arrived in Cerrado in the 1970’s, after being pushed out of the state of Parana by frost and out of the state of Sao Paulo by nematodes. They found the soil in Cerrado to be very acidic, which they rectified with the application of calcium to create the healthy soils they enjoy today.
Cerrado coffee farms are cultivated in areas with elevations varying between 800 and 1,300 meters above sea level and are known for consistently producing high quality coffees with a repeatable profile. Independent of farm size, the spirit of professionalism is present throughout Cerrado’s coffee producers. Entrepreneurialism is part of farmers’ DNA, and many producers are second or third generation growers who also hold degrees in agronomic engineering, business management, and administration. While each family narrative is different, Cerrado is characterized by an enterprising attitude.
