Farm info

Laerte Pena Moura got his start in agriculture working with and learning from his father as they worked together on various properties in the region of Espírito Santo. He began to focus on producing specialty coffee in 2001 with two hectares of land in the Alto Córrego da Prata community of Castelo, Espírito Santo. His wife, Gelcimar Brandão, has always shared in the work, including fertilizing, cleaning the fields, and sprouting plants. Today, Laerte’s son Lucas works in the fields as well, learning how to produce specialty coffee.

This lot of Red Catuai coffee underwent Pulped 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.

Region

Montanhas do Espirito Santo

The Montanhas do Espírito Santo region is dominated by small-scale coffee-growers and is characterized by the presence of farmers who are actively engaged in the entire chain of the production process. Growers in Espírito Santo work with family members and build off of traditional knowledge to innovate and improve their quality of life and coffee.

Located in the southern area of the Espírito Santo state, where mild temperatures (73ºF) and steep highlands (between 700 and 1,000 meters) favor growing Arabica coffees, this region produces a superb quality coffee with a round body, nice acidity, and fine sweetness. While the most common process for the region is Natural, Pulped Naturals are increasing in popularity due to a program of quality launched in the 1980’s that included improvements in equipment necessary for this newer style of processing.

The state of Espírito Santo has its capital in the city of Vitoria, and the coastal location of Espírito Santo to the south of Bahia, east of Minas Gerais, and North of Rio de Janeiro makes it a popular destination for its beaches. Inland, Espirito Santo is home to natural parks and preserves that protect the rich diversity of flora and fauna. Many communities in the mountains of Espírito Santo were settled at the beginning of the twentieth century by European immigrants from Italy and the Pomeranian region along the Baltic Sea coast, straddling the border between what are now Germany and Poland.