Brazil - Jose Edivaldo

The story of Sítio Barra coffee farm begins with Mr. José's father, who had always worked in coffee plantations with his family. He had a dream of owning his own farm, and with hard work, he gradually acquired his first acres of land. Sadly, he passed away at a young age, leaving his seven children to carry on his legacy. Mr. José and his brothers took over the management of their father's land and continued to expand the farm over time. As the years went by, some brothers pursued other interests, and in 1996, Mr. José left the society with a small portion of his father's land, which now serves as the headquarters of Sítio Barra. He continued to acquire more land and today, with the help of his sons, manages a 176-hectare coffee farm with plans to expand to 200 hectares next year. Each son has a distinct role on the farm. Thiago, the oldest, manages the coffee processing, André takes care of the crops and harvest, and Felipe oversees the processing and administration of the drying patios. Although all three brothers work on the farm, Thiago holds a degree in Law and Felipe in Civil Engineering, both of whom initially wanted to pursue careers outside of coffee farming but ended up returning to the family business.

In 2011, the three brothers started a specialty coffee project, which was initially meant to acquire a pulping machine. After cupping some of their first batches, they were impressed by the excellent results and decided to fully focus on specialty coffee, attracted by the paid differential and better working conditions. Since then, the farm has been dedicated to producing high-quality specialty coffee, and they continue to make new investments every year to improve their potential. The family's future plans include investing in suspended terraces and training courses in tasting and roasting to further enhance their understanding of the quality they produce.

Thanks again to Cofinet for this gem!