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We have a new coffee coming onto the counter this month from Clovis Mello’s farm in Brazil, Terras de São Francisco. We bought two very small lots from this farm – Arara, which we sent out in the subscription coffees in August, and Yellow Catuaí which will be available soon. This coffee fills the Sitio Grota São Pedro-sized gap we had on our counter after Claudio Carneiro Pinto’s retirement from farming a few years ago. We were always inspired by Claudio’s personal warmth and drive to grow the very best coffee, and we greatly appreciate the impact he has had on the organic coffee farming in Brazil.

Clovis Mello’s background is in film and advertising, and his middle son, Felipe, followed him into the industry but soon began to feel unfulfilled by this career. Felipe started to grow organic foods, having been inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy of organic and biodynamic farming. On a drive from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo, Clovis divulged to his son that he also had a dream of farming and that coffee was the product he wanted to produce. Felipe encouraged his father, stipulating that the coffee must be organic, and like all the best plans, it was actioned straight away. During the drive, they googled who in the area grew organic coffee and found our friend Claudio from Sitio Grota São Pedro. Clovis and Felipe took a two and a half-hour detour to meet him. They spent the next four hours talking and Claudio promised Clovis he would find him the perfect spot for them to set up a farm, which he did. A short while later Clovis bought the land Claudio had found for him.

Clovis now has 200 hectares of land, 42 of which are in production with Arara, Paraiso, Yellow Catuaí, Yellow Catucaí, Red Mondo Novo and Red Acaya. He has his own processing facility, including drying patios and a warehouse. The farm also produces cascara de café, avocado and banana. They have their own small roastery and capsule machine for both domestic and international sales. Their website has a wealth of information about the farm and the family’s story – terradesaofrancisco.com.br.

We hope to visit Clovis later in the year to learn more about the farm and the growing systems they are using. In the meantime, we will only have this coffee available for a few weeks when it arrives on the counter this month. If you’re in one of the shops during this time, it will be available for sampling.

Monmouth x

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