Brazil
Cerrado Mineiro
Margarida das Graças Silva
Fazenda Queixadas
Red Catuai
Natural
June–July
Chocolate, Caramel, Cherry
1150 meters
N/A
60 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Patriarch Ganimedes Alves da Silva began the family’s agriculture business in 1974 with the purchase of Queixadas Farm in Campos Altos, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Coffee production began in 1976 with the planting of 25 hectares of coffee on the farm. However, with the passing of Mr. Ganimedes, the family’s story changed course in 1985. His wife, Margarida das Graças Silva, stepped in to assume the responsibility of the farm with the help of her four children, Flávio, Fabiano, Fabrício, and Fernanda.
Today, the farm is planted with 150 hectares of coffee, producing 7000 bags annually. The farm’s 615 total hectares of land enjoy altitudes of 1100–1200 meters and access to the waters of the Paranaíba River. Margarida oversees the Queixadas closely, and takes pride in the farm’s environmental responsibility, production quality, and love for agriculture.
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.
