The seeds used in the production of seedlings are from one of Brazil's
most respected agronomic centers - IAC - Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, which
carries out constant research on the genetic improvement and development of new coffee
varieties. The best seeds are selected to develop the nurseries . The seedling process is
manual and requires irrigation with local spring water as well as phytosanitary treatment
with natural products. |
The
best-developed seedlings are chosen for planting during the rainy season in December. The
rows are trenched in a straight line in the direction of the sunset, so as to guarantee a
uniform exposure to sunlight. |
Nutritional care and maintenance of plantations
begin after the planting process. Ground fertilizing involves spraying with organic
fertilizers containing natural protecting agents; weeding and pruning to renew foliage and
make it suitable for harvest. Planted grounds are continuously monitored through samplings
of the fruits, leaves and branches. Samples are analyzed by production supervisors and
agronomists who verify the climatic and soil conditions and indicate nutritional needs in
each field. Such high standards of supervision are maintained all along the production
process. The result of all this care can be easily observed in the plantations. The trees
exhibit a uniform height, dense foliage, excellent growth and optimum capacity for cherry
development. |
Every year, around the
month of September, when spring comes to Brazil and coffee trees begin blooming, the region displays a rare
beauty and acquires a special aroma. Months later, in the fall, samples from the
plantations are analyzed for their maturity. |
Harvest occurs between June and September,
when the amount of
green fruit is below 5%. Fazendas Veloso adopt a combination of manual or mechanical
techniques for harvesting, which is followed by manual revision to fully benefit from the
harvested fruit. |
The
coffee that has been picked is transported by trucks to washing tanks in another location in the Fazenda. The
washing process separates the cherries from the dry beans by floatation, and eliminates
leaves. The water used comes from natural falls, and the result of the washing process is
thoroughly analyzed to verify the elimination of impurities. |
The drying
process is carried out in totally cleansed cement patios. Quality is controlled by
analyzing samples for moisture levels, uniformity of bean size and presence of unripe
beans. Coffee is stirred between 10 - 15 times a day, in the direction of the
sun throughout a week. After attaining an average of 80% dryness, beans are taken to a dry
and warm air dryer to unify the level of moisture down to 12%. After that, coffee is given
the final preparation for delivery |
