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Sítio Baixa Funda is a small, family coffee-growing farm. Reginaldo acquired it as a donation from his father, who had had it since 1980. He began growing coffee around 25 years ago, influenced by his father and with the support of his wife and children.

Nowadays his children (the third generation of coffee producers), youths under 35 years of age, also participate in the cultivation of coffee (caring for the crops, harvesting and other bean-processing activities), carrying on Reginaldo’s work.

Women also participate, especially during the harvest.

The farm has around 10,000 coffee trees nowadays, of the Catuaí variety, and no irrigation system. The3 harvest occurs in July and August.

In 2010, the producers invested in minimal post-harvest processing infrastructure, with patios and machinery to pulp the beans. Since then, the producer and his family have been working to produce high-quality coffees.

After the harvest, the coffee is washed and the dry and light cherries are separated from the ripe ones, which pass through the pulper and are then washed again. Then they undergo the drying process in a greenhouse until reaching the ideal point to rest.

The producers’ main concern is to maintain the quality of the coffee and they watch over the plants, doing all fertilization prescribed by agronomists, through soil analysis, for the best development of the beans. In addition, they invested in harvesting ripe cherries, in equipment to wash and pulp the fruits, in greenhouses for drying, in jute bags to protect the beans from moisture, pests and odors.

As for sustainability, the farm has adopted practices that guarantee preservation of water resources and biodiversity. Pesticides are not used and residues such as husks and chaff, resulting from processing, are used as organic fertilizer.

In this way, the producers seek better quality for their product.