Brazil
Cerrado Mineiro
Valdomiro Donizete Borges
Fazenda Esmeril lugar Chapadão de Ferro
Red Catuai
Natural
May–August
Almond Praline, Toffee, Citrus
1100 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Valdomiro Donizete Borges is a coffee producer working alongside his wife, Marta de Paula Borges, and their children across two farms in Cerrado Mineiro. Their first farm came to them through inheritance in 1988, but it wasn’t until 1993 that they decided to undertake coffee production. After initial difficulties and even attempting to undertake dairy production, they decided to focus on coffee production and haven’t looked back since.
The family’s farms are 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.
Together, the family work in search of producing high quality coffee through evolving sustainable production across their two farms. Today, they grow coffee across 21 hectares of Fazenda Esmeril lugar Chapadão de Ferro’s 46 hectares total, at elevations ranging 1050–1150.
This lot of Red Catuai coffee underwent Natural processing. Catuai was developed by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) of Sao Paulo State in Campinas, Brazil by crossing Mundo Novo and Caturra varieties. Catuai coffees are cultivated widely across Brazil, and are known for their high productivity potential.
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.
