2023-07-30 16:53:45
João Farinha arrived in Brazil at the age of 16 and since then has been working based on sustainability and quality
With every story I know in the Cafezal Between the Lines I’m sure of one thing: coffee growing is a universe of opportunities, chances and dreamland throughout Brazil. With the producing regions being pioneered, we also have here those who left their origins to build their trajectory in unknown, but productive lands and that shape many stories out there.
And it was at the age of 16 that João Farinha Lopes left Portugal and embarked on the adventure of reaching Brazil, “the land of opportunities”, as Sônia Farinha, João’s daughter and who currently works with her father in coffee production in the Cerrado Miner.
But, before reaching the Cerrado, it is important to mention that it all started in Paraná. It was in the south of Brazil that João started working with coffee in Brazil. There, he began his career alongside two uncles, in the storage area of the cafes. What João did not expect is that the gift of two clients could change the course of his career.
He received two “Panama” hats as a gift, which he exchanged with his uncles for two heifers, which grew and became a source of income. This income that João and his family, wife and three daughters, used to migrate to Cerrado Mineiro, following the tradition that began to be established after the arrival of Cerrado explorers in the region.
Using the practices he learned from his uncles, Seo João , since his arrival, he valued production that went beyond quantitative, it needed to be sustainable and take care of the environment. For many years, the couple worked on the farms, doing a little bit a day, but always together: in decision-making, raising their daughters and passing on the legacy of being passionate about the countryside.
The admiration for her parents’ work was so strong that Sônia, graduated in journalism and working in the area, decided to leave the profession and venture into the fields with her father. I was lucky enough to spend a morning with the duo between the lines of incredible “Mundo Novo” cafes and realize that there, the duo made more of the coffee, together, they build a new story.
Of course, in the beginning, the clash of generations was something they had to learn to deal with. The father, who had the tradition and grew up growing coffee, Sônia, arrived to bring technology, certification and recognition for the many years of work done there.
It’s almost impossible to put into words the exchange they have together. Between one coffee tree and another, the words “sustainability” and “quality” were said many, many times. The farm has an environmental reserve that will delight your eyes and calm your heart. It’s there, in that little corner that they run when they need to think. Every inch of that place has a lot of dedication.
The last few years have been challenging for coffee growers: drought, hail and even frost arrived in Cerrado Mineiro, but at no time did the word “give up” exist for this family. Combining the wisdom gained over time, the new technologies and the respect for being together: with each harvest, new achievements arrive and this harmony becomes increasingly evident.
#Portugal #Cerrado #father #daughter #coffee #growing #tradition #of..