Farm: Sítio Jardim das Oliveiras
Grower: Simone Sampaio
City: Araponga
Region: Matas de Minas Gerais
Altitude: 1250
Varieties: Yellow Catuaí, Catiguá, Aranãs, Yellow Bourbon and Red Catuaí
Planted area: 15 hectares
Total area: 42 hectares
History
Simone is a Nutritionist, and João is a Food Engineer. They met at the Federal University of Viçosa, where they graduated and decided to get married. They worked in various Brazilian capitals and also had international experience. They had two daughters, Sofia and Luisa. However, destiny led them back permanently to a small corner in the Matas de Minas region, more specifically in the city of Araponga, near the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park, where she was born and is the third generation in coffee farming. She is already preparing her daughters to take over. Sofia, in fact, decided to switch from Economics to Agronomic Engineering at the same university where her parents graduated after seeing their passion for specialty coffee and recognizing the world of possibilities that exists from cultivating the coffee bean to the cup.
They built a beautiful inn, but their true dream was to dedicate themselves to the artisanal production of specialty coffees. On the coffee plantations in the Atlantic Forest mountains, Simone, João, Sofia, and Luisa live in continuous harmony with the surrounding nature. Today, they reside on the property, combining university knowledge with the wisdom passed down from Simone's ancestors. The couple has extensively trained to manage this business.
The coffee is family-produced and artisanal. We are guided by the pillars of social, economic, and environmental sustainability, with regenerative practices. We plant cover crop mixes between the coffee rows to increase soil organic matter and nutrient supply, aiming to improve productivity and quality. We plant some trees and also allow some native species to grow among the coffee plants to attract disease-causing insects, thus controlling pests and reducing the incidence of diseases. The springs on the property are all fenced, we have legal reserves, riparian forests, and the crops are managed through manual pruning and mowing, with all the residue remaining in the field to increase soil organic matter. The coffee husks return to the fields as fertilizer. The water from the washing process is also returned to the fields. We do not have a mechanical dryer; we dry the coffee on cement and raised beds. We have a solar energy system for the houses on the property. We are also beekeepers, producing honey for consumption and to enhance crop pollination.
As a result, the coffee from the property has a unique origin and distinctive notes. It is the result of much love, dedication, and effort.
