Summer 2014
An amazing and exhausting trip!
I was met by Athos in Sao Paulo then we travelled north into the mountains to Machado. I spent the next few days with the family, on the farm, in the rainforest, and watching Brazil record an historic 7-1 defeat – good job they still have fantastic coffee!
Crop
We talked about the crop this year how generally, because of drought, the harvests in Brazil will be low, but despite this, at Gerezim and Vira Mao they are expecting a very high quality Brazilian roast coffee. Cupping the early harvest it has scored extremely high into the speciality scale.
Both Isaltino and Athos also wanted to stress the importance of altitude and good farming for quality, frustrated by the lack of knowledge of other farmers and the poor quality being produced in lower parts of the Minas Gerais region – something we already know and appreciate about their coffee, right? Not every Brazilian coffee is the same!
Crop
Costs are up across the board for transport and labour. Same as in the UK. So along with lower harvests and the market moving upwards we’re expecting a price increase.
Rainforests
One of the things I was keen to see more of was the preservation of rainforests alongside the farm. About 20% of their farmland is left as wild rainforest to preserve it and the habitat it offers. The understanding of harmony between nature and farming was impressive.
Not enough space to write it all – ask more when you next order.
New Coffees
We’re exploring new origins and cupping new coffees in the next few weeks. Cameroon? Guatemala? Rwanda? Nicaragua?
Keep your coffee fresh
