Origin Story
Sítio Capão is a twelve-hectare coffee farm, sitting at the relatively high elevation of 1,300m above sea level and located just outside the small town of Piatã, in Bahia’s Chapada Diamantina region
Piatã’s terroir is unique in Brazil, and contributes greatly to its strong regional distinction. The soil is nutrient-rich and slightly humid, creating a healthy and diverse ecosystem that is home to some 1,600 individual plant species.
The farm is owned by third-generation producer Aneiuson Souza and wife Rosemeire, who live onsite with their three children. Aneiuson is only in his 40s — but has already been working in coffee for nearly two decades and is part of the next generation of coffee producers in the town of Piatã.
An agronomist by training, Aneiuson has implemented several initaives to further preserve the biodiversity of his property, performing annual soil analyses on the property, and intercropping the estate with nutrient-rich crops like cauliflower and broccoli to nurture his soil.
Processing
Aneiuson takes great pride and care in the way that he harvests and processes his coffee, from the preparation of the land through to the final storage of parchment. During harvest, all cherries were picked by hand only when fully ripe, with most of the labour being provided by him, his family and a handful of neighbours and seasonal workers.
During the harvest, the team transport the freshly selected cherries in baskets to be depulped twice a day at Sítio Capão’s small wet mill. By doing all of the wet processing onsite, Aneiuson retains full autonomy over how each coffee lot is treated, ensuring the highest quality is achieved and reducing overall operating costs.
After depulping, wet parchment with some mucilage still attached was sun-dried on patio for a week, followed by another week where it dried on patio during the day and in greenhouses overnight. Aneiuson and his team spread the coffee in layers of about four centimetres and raked about 20 times a day.
