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Fazenda Pedra Redonda is owned by Mr. Jose Bernardes Santana and is in the city of Araponga, MG, in the Matas de Minas region.

Jose Bernardes has always been an optimistic dreamer, and in 1978 he decided to invest in coffee. After traveling through the region, he reached the conclusion that Araponga would be a good place to plant coffee due to the temperate climate and elevation above 1000 meters.

Jose Bernardes wasn’t taking risks. Knowing that the region already produced fruit such as peaches, apples, pears and plums, he was certain that the coffee would be very special. And he was right. In 2003 he won his first Cup of Excellence award as a finalist in the international competition, the only representative from Matas de Minas. Since then, Jose Bernardes has been a perennial presence on the list of finalists and has won more than a dozen awards up to the current edition of the competition. He is affectionately called “Filinho.”

Fazenda Pedra Redonda measures 159 hectares overall. Coffee is planted on 108 ha, and the rest is native forest reserves. Among the mountains were the coffee crops are located, the lowest elevation is 1020 m, the highest 1280 m. The crops are 100% Arabica of the variety Catuaí. Annual production varies from 3800 to 4900 bags per year. The coffee must be processed in the wet mill no more than three hours after it is picked. Then it is spread for drying on concrete patios or African beds. Among coffee producers, Jose Bernardes stands out given that his farm has a 6200-square-meter round patio. This year, about 65% of the coffee was pulped natural. The drying period lasts between 30 and 60 days given favorable weather. Both pulped natural and natural coffees are produced at Fazenda Pedra Redonda.

Jose Bernardes bought a property near Fazenda Pedra Redonda called Vale do Sino for his children. Today it belongs to the five of them. All of them have been finalists in competition promoted by BSCA. Always concerned about quality and with his children’s administration of the farm, he will choose which one will be his successor.

The farm is certified by UTZ.