We left Expocaccer. On the way to the first farm, Fazenda Freitas, we spoke about the Rainforest Alliance certification. There is a premium paid to farmers with the certification for them to invest in the people on the farm, in soil preservation and also there is a minimum amount of land set aside as a reserve. This reserve is left to grow wild to attract indigenous flora and fauna. They work with local universities to see these reserves attract different species. Some of the farms log all fauna that is sighted.
First farm Fazenda Freitas
The first variety we saw was Topazio variety (A mundo nuvo and caturra blend). The different levels of ripeness were clear on the tree with the different colours on the tree.
We tasted the fruit it was a semi sweet cherry flavour. The mucilage around the beans is the sweetest. The farm is like most Brazilian farms. Automation of the farms started in the nineties. Most of the coffee is natural (dry process) or pulp natural (semi natural). There is s small amount of washed that is mainly produced for local consumption by the big multi nationals that are not allowed to import coffee, but must use the local coffee. So they get the farmers to produce washed coffee for a different Flavour.
When looking at the coffee trees we found quite irregular flowering, this is a result of bad previous crops
that affect the tree and it takes years to recover.
This farm currently produces 4000 bags 30% pn 70% and very small fully washed.
the farm has 10 varieties and is UTZ and RFA certified.
Once the coffee is in green it is stored in wooden silos for 30 to 40 to ensure the coffee is more uniform. All coffee delivered depulped and clean to coop.
Farm owner was not there but he met us later at the cupping, where he shared a video of the farm which we posted on YouTube.
