VISTA ALEGRE

MARIA TEREZA MATTEI DE SOUZA

5

The São Geraldo Property began with Geraldo and Maria when they got married in 1998. That same year, they planted their first coffee plot on Geraldo’s father’s land — and the seedlings were a gift from Maria. She represents the third generation in her family to work with coffee. She grew up in the fields: her first steps were taken among coffee trees, her first word was “coffee,” and she has been involved in the crop ever since. Together, they had a son named Gustavo — the fourth generation. Now, it’s Gustavo who continues their story.

“My parents took care of everything on the farm, and nowadays I also take part in every stage — from management to fieldwork. My mother is a specialist in selective picking, especially in younger coffee fields where the harvest is done using sieves. Most of our specialty coffees are harvested by the three of us, especially those destined for competitions, where we pay even closer attention.

Each of us has our own specialty: my father is responsible for the post-harvest and off-season tasks, while my mother and I take care of post-harvest processing and lot preparation during harvest time, and together we manage the farm’s operations throughout the year. We care deeply about the quality of every single lot we produce. My parents encouraged and supported me in taking several courses related to specialty coffee production, which has helped us bring out the best in every bean.

In 2023, we took part in the Cup of Excellence for the first time — and proudly achieved 2nd place in the natural category.”