Brazil | Paulo and Juliana Piancastelli, Fazenda Terra Alta
Minais Gerais
Fazenda Terra Alta was born in 2010, when Paulo and Juliana Piancastelli left their corporate lives behind and searched for greener pastures. They started planting in 2011 and have produced high scoring and award winning coffees since their first harvest in 2013.
We first partnered with Paulo and Juliana in 2017. In the few short years they have been in the specialty coffee industry, they have put together an expert production team, planted high quality coffee varietals, and implemented innovative processing methods. Their product is impressive, and the partnerships they seek with roasters are notable.
Paulo and Juliana have built an independent importing/exporting structure that supports the Direct Trade model fully. They work with roasters during the harvest to seek out micro-lots as well as collaboration on processing methods. They are also in complete control of the coffee during shipment, as they own an importation warehouse in the United States.
The farm is UTZ certified and they consistently aim to reduce their environmental footprint. Some technologies adopted on the farm are:
- Subsurface driplines nutri-irrigation system to reduce water and fertilizer waste
- Grass/weed management to reduce use of herbicides
- Electrostatic nozzles that allow for a 15% reduction in pesticide use
- Additionally, roughly 30% of the farm is reserved as conservation areas, with continuous programs of reforestation and fauna conservation activities
When Paulo and Juliana visited us, we were impressed by their talent and values. We hope to work with them for years to come!
Terra Alta’s Mission:
“To pioneer new approaches to high quality green coffee production, to positively impact the environment and the community, to boldly go where no grower has gone before.”
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