Miriam Monteiro de Aguiar is a sixth-generation coffee farmer and the first woman to run the family farm. She is the founder of the subchapter of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance: Campo das Vertentes, and is committed to enhancing opportunities for Black Brazilian coffee farmers. Miriam graduated in sociology and holds a master’s degree in rural business and social development.
Fazenda Cachoeira is much more than a production area of organic and specialty coffees. It is the result of its ecosystem, which has three axes:
LIVING SOIL: Using good agricultural practices for the production of organic and sustainable specialty coffees and for soil conservation.
WATER: Fazenda Cachoeira reforested an area with 3,000 native trees that contribute to the maintenance of water for the property and the surrounding community.
PEOPLE: Without people, the quality of our coffees would not exist. Fazenda Cachoeira contributes to the generation of employment and income for its permanent and seasonal collaborators. It acts for the gender equity and the female empowerment, prioritizing women harvesters for the harvest period.
Fazenda Cachoeira is also the head office of Apará Cafés Especiais, an exporter that has Miriam as CEO. Their impact business happens through their partnership with BD Imports in the Black Coffee Producers Project. Apará Cafés Especiais is also a signatory of the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs - UN Women).
All the work developed at Fazenda Cachoeira contributes to the experience of drinking organic and specialty coffee, going beyond the taste. There is the whole purpose of the Fazenda Cachoeira ecosystem in the cup
"The success of Black Brazilian Farmers means a new and impressive reality, which goes beyond the economic opportunity. It brings a new message to the local coffee community and establishes a new social position for Black Brazilians. For me, the answer is in the question—that is, to finally see what was always hidden. I see this as a very important fact because—in a country where the majority of citizens are Black—representation is essential to give hope and to encourage other Black Brazilians. Secondly, I believe that, in a bigger and more democratic sense, if these growers are recognized for their hard work, the local market will grow stronger and become more inclusive. This means increasing the possibilities of experience exchange, as well as more opportunity for everyone, both nationally and abroad."
-Miriam Monteiro de Aguiar, The Triumph: Black Brazilians in Coffee, by Phyllis Johnson
About Catiguá MG2:
Catiguá MG 2 is a coffee variety that produces red fruit with smaller beans and complex flavors. This variety has high resistance to rust, and is also resistant to some diseases, such as Pseudomonas. Catiguá MG2 is a cross between Catuaí Amarelo IAC 86 and Hybrid of Timor UFV 440-10 and it has been been registered since 2024.
The cherries are firmly fixed to the stalk until they are fully ripe, which prevents them from falling to the ground. The harvest at Fazenda Cachoeira is manual and selective and the Catiguá MG2 proved to be ideal for this type of harvest. They planted their first Catiguá crop in 2015, and since then they have made incredible sensory discoveries. Every year they are more surprised by the possibilities of flavor nuances of this variety.
At Fazenda Cachoeira, they prefer to harvest when the cherries are already very ripe. Depending on the agricultural year, rainfall and maturity, they return to the same tree up to three times to harvest.
*IF you would like this coffee ground, please specify brew method in comments.
Bags are 12oz/340g, 2#, 5#
