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History of the farm:

Sítio São Sebastião is in the city of Cristina, in the south de Minas Gerais, in the Serra da Mantiqueira region, at an elevation of 1200 meters. The mountainous topography, average annual rainfall of 1600 mm and average temperature of 17°C, together with excellent soil create the ideal conditions for producing specialty coffees.

Sebastião Daniel, his wife Hilda Cândida da Silva, and their children are dedicated to sustainable coffee production, always seeking to work in harmony with the environment.

The farm has reserves for preserving pristine forests, which are home to species of large plants as well as several wild animals. In the area, it is common to see maned wolves, armadillos, monkeys, jacu birds, saffron finches and hawks, among others.

Sebastião Daniel is a member of APROCAM (www.mantiqueirademinas.org), the association that holds the Mantiqueira de Minas Indication of Origin Seal, a member of regional cooperative COCARIVE (www.cocarive.com.br), a member of ASCARIVE, of the FAIR TRADE Association, and is certified by FLO.

Coffee processing system:

The harvest is selective, done when the coffee cherries are well-ripened. They are picked over cloths to avoid contact with the ground. On the same day, the beans are bagged and transported to the processing center located on the farm itself.  Next, the coffee is washed. This is also when the beans are separated. The coffee is dried on a concrete patio, with greenhouses to avoid the possible risk of unwanted fermentation. If necessary, the coffee is taken to the mechanical dryer until it reaches the ideal humidity. After drying, the coffee is taken to wooden rest boxes to rest for at least 40 days.

After resting, the beans are separated into lots and stored in COCARIVE’s warehouse in Carmo de Minas.

Concern about quality

From the beginning of production, Sítio São Sebastião relies upon the guidance of agronomists from ASCARIVE / COCARIVE. Working with coffee is done with dedication, always seeking quality in the beans. All the coffee lots are evaluated and followed by trained cuppers at COCARIVE. The lots produced on the farm have complete traceability from harvest to storage at COCARIVE’s warehouse.