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History of the farm

In 1915 Fazenda Zaroca was called Fazenda Jararaca and was run by the current owner’s grandfather. At the time, the main crop was sugar cane. In 1980, Gilberto’s grandmother, Maria de Brito, assumed command of the farm and changed the name to Fazenda Zaroca in homage of her father who contributed much to the cultivation of coffee and sugar cane in the region. Dona Maria de Brito was one of the pioneer woman coffee entrepreneurs in the Sul de Minas. After Maria de Brito passed away in 1996, Gilberto’s mother took over. For several years, Gilberto helped with on the farm, planting new varietals of coffee. In 2015, Gilberto assumed control of Fazenda Zaroca and began work toward the production of specialty coffees, with more technology, modernization of equipment and continual training of the farm’s collaborators and with the help of his wife, Jaya. New varietals have been introduced with the objective of attaining high quality production to meet the demands of the domestic and international markets.