Poço Fundo

After the cupping the panel of judges visited COOPFAM (Cooperativa dos Agricultores Familiares de Poço Fundo e Regiao, or just Poço Fundo) Founded in 1991, the co-op has grown to achieve many of its long term goals and recently completed a new dry mill in May of this year. Three years ago the co-op began exporting its own coffee which completed the journey to self-sufficiency in all matters of post-production.


COOPFAM General Manager Luiz Adauto and John Cossette of Royal Coffee discuss this year's crop in the co-ops new dry mill.



Inside the co-ops cupping room the judges talk with Luis about quality control. All of the farmer members' beans are cupped individually, allowing the co-op to sort and market the lots accordingly.


Luiz Adauto and Miguel Zamora, Coffee Category Manager for TransFair USA, discuss how individual farmer lots are cupped and scored.

The judges had the opportunity to cup a few of the co-ops coffees including a real stunner with honeycomb aromas and clean acidity grown by Sr. Luiz himself. We then piled into the van and headed out to visit a co-op member's farm. More on that later!

Calibrations

Today marks the start of the first ever Fair Trade Cupping Competition in Brazil. The judges are all well rested and ready to go after a proper night's rest. Our panel started out this morning from the Hotel Colinas in the heart of downtown Machado after a tasty Brazilian breakfast which included one of my favorites, Pao de Queijo with bacon. The judges, of course, we're only allowed a slice of white bread and some water so as to not upset their delicate palates (no I didn't see David Hermann eat chocolate cookies and jello for breakfast.)

About 15 minutes outside hilly Machado the Centro de Excellencia do Cafe, Sul de Minas sits on a small plateau overlooking lush farmland. It was built last year through federal and municipal funds in order to serve as an educational and technical training center.

Every cupping competition begins with a calibration in order to align the panel around standards and terms. Silvio Leite, a veteran cupper who's directed too many Cups of Excellence to count, led off the morning by going over the most recent edition of the SCAA cupping form and protocols. Then it was off to the laboratory across the courtyard to start cupping.

Reference samples

Andrew Miller of Cafe Imports and Darrin Daniel of Allegro Coffee discuss the merits of by-the-kilo roadside churrascurias.

Volunteers from the local agrarian school.
After the first run-through, the judges will break for lunch. The afternoon session will involve more cupping and a final alignment meeting to conclude the calibration.
Stay tuned for more!
-Demian Luper, TransFair USA