Farm Histroy

Fazenda Cachoeira da Grama has been in the Carvalho Dias family since 1890. Gabriel de Carvalho Dias, son of the owner, Lindolpho de Carvalho Dias is responsible for the property's management. It is located 3 miles from Minas Gerais state line and has characteristics from the mountainous areas of Mogiana and from Sul de Minas. On this farm everything is done manually, which includes coffee plantation handling and harvest, since its topography does not allow any kind of mechanization.

Social and environmental sustainability is considered very important in the farm management. Lindolpho de Carvalho Dias developed a program of planting native species to keep a better ecological balance. The farm has a school, a club and an official size soccer field for the employees' benefit. There are 47 houses for the employees and their families, all with modern facilities. The wastewater is treated to avoid polluting the stream that runs across the farm.

The altitude is between 1,100 and 1,250 meters and the precipitation is between 1,800 and 2,000mm per year with an average temperature of 19ºC. Ideal conditions for coffee.

The farm still produces Bourbon coffees, famous for their exceptional quality.

Coffee processing system

Coffee is harvested manually on cloth, preventing beans from getting in touch with the earth. The coffee processing is done as fast as possible to avoid any chance of bean fermentation. The harvested coffee is immediately transferred from production fields to washers, with the separation of the cherry and green beans from the dry beans, which are sent to the terrace to dry. The cherry and green beans area processed by the coffee pulper, where the cherry beans area pulped and separated from the green coffee.

The pulped coffee is dried under the sun in terraces until the beans reach 20 percent humidity. At this stage, the coffee is transferred to the dryers to reduce humidity to 11 percent. Subsequently, the coffee lots are stored in a warehouse, with very low humidity level and free from odors that can affect the coffee.

Concern with quality

The quality of the coffee produced by Fazenda Cachoeira is a result of dedication and care during all coffee production stages, from the selections of the nursery trees and plantation to harvesting and processing. After harvest the beans receive the maximum attention possible so as not to lose any of the body and cup qualities that the region is known for.

Lindolpho de Carvalho Dias was among the finalists of the Brazil Cup of Excellence Competition in its 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2005 edition.