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Gleba Serra de Fatima is a small rural property located in the municipality of Carmo de Minas, southern Minas Gerais, with preserved native vegetation, crystalline springs, pure mountain air, and a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. These lands are the legacy of a traditional family of more than five generations of coffee growers. Currently the property is managed by Daniel Carvalho de Castro together with his father, Carlos Eduardo Dias de Castro, and his youngest brother, Luciano Carvalho de Castro, who is responsible for cultivating the coffee. For the second year, the Gleba Serra de Fatima has a lot of coffee that is going to participate on the Cup of Excellence international auction. This is due to the excellent quality of the coffee that is produced on this farm.

Coffee processing system

The coffee is hand-picked and taken for processing the same day, going through the washer and immediately thereafter the pulper, where the ripe cherries are separated from the green ones, following which the drying process gets under way on the patio. Drying is done in the sun and the coffee is periodically raked to ensure top quality. Half-way through the drying process the lots are separated one by one and taken to silos, where they are held as long as necessary. The beans are then spread out once again on the patio until they have dried to the ideal point, between 11% and 11.5% moisture content. The lots are then stored and classified at the Rio Verde Valle Regional Coffee Producers Cooperative (COCARIVE).

Commitment to quality

Refining the preparation of specialty coffees is a constant goal. The cultivation practices take environmental and social issues into account, starting with the harvest and carrying the commitment all the way to the coffee in the cup, all the time striving to produce a pleasant beverage. The farm’s personnel stay up to date by taking courses and attending talks on quality, and they always have the support and technical supervision of agricultural experts “Tiao” Marcio, from the Rio Verde Valle Regional Coffee Producers Cooperative (COCARIVE), and Luciano Neves, from the Minas Gerais Extension Services (EMATER). They also receive guidance from COCARIVE auditors: Joao Augusto and Paulo Cesar. These conditions make it possible to maintain the quality of the fruit produced on the farm adding value to the product in an ever increasingly demanding consumer market. The best lots of coffee in the Gleba Serra de Fatima are roasted and negotiated by Coffee Carmo de Minas.