“When I take care of nature, nature will take care of my coffee and my people.”, says Carlos Sérgio Sanglard. These words tell you everything you should know about Serra do Boné Estate and the farm’s owner Carlos Sérgio Sanglard.
Carlos is possibly one of the most talented organic coffee farmers in Brazil. But when Carlos started, few believed his strategy would work. Some critics even claimed he was crazy about investing in specialty.
Brazil was known for its large volumes and decent cup profiles, but Carlos saw another future. Instead of focusing on quantity, he started a pursuit of quality specialty coffee and sustainable production. His vision took shape in 1988 when he purchased a small plot of 7-hectares in Araponga.
The farm, a rocky 1200 meters above the sea-level slope, is a dense-rich soil patch of land where gusty winds blow throughout the year. The rock has a shape of a sharp tooth, and that is why Carlos named is farm Serra do Boné Estate, saw tooth in Portuguese.
15 long years pass until people finally recognized Carlos’s work and influence within the still young Brazilian specialty coffee movement. His efforts led him to 1st place at Cup of Excellence (COE) in 2003; 4th place at COE 2006; 19th place at COE 2009, and the 2nd place at COE 2010.
The altitude of 1200 meters and a rich soil helped him to produce excellent coffee. However, his special care in post-harvest made the difference. Carlos adopted best-practice techniques for pulping and washing coffee. And his large patios give room to dry cherries and parchment evenly.
From his 7-hectare farm, Carlos slowly bought more surrounding lands. Today, he has an 87-hectare estate that thrives in complete harmony with the environment. Carlos commits himself to conserve and preserve the local forests because the diverse biome enriches the quality of his coffee.
Araponga turned into a specialty coffee production area because coffee pioneers like Carlos pushed the boundaries of specialty. Carlos laughs, “Who is the crazy one now? Not me.”
1200 - 1200 masl.
Carlos Sérgio Sanglard
