Creonisio Correa da Silva - Sítio São Joaquim

about the producer.

Creonisio Correa Da Silva grew up on his family’s farm in the Córrego do Sossego community, which is located in the beautiful mountains near the town of Simonésia, on the southeast edge of the state of Minas Gerais.

The municipality was founded around the São Simão river and the fertile soils fed by the mountain headwaters. This area of rare natural beauty is one of the last continuous fragments of Atlantic Forest in this part of Brazil. An established preservation area in Córrego do Sossego maintains the habitat and endangered population of the Northern Muriqui, the largest primate in the Americas. As part of this effort an ecological corridor was built by planting trees on neighboring rural properties to connect the population of muriqui to other forest remnants in the region.

From childhood, Creonisio learned the secrets of agriculture and coffee cultivation from his parents. Throughout this time the family was producing their coffee for the commodity market and selling their crop at the local rates. This all changed in 2021 when fortunate weather conditions magically created a perfectly homogeneously ripe harvest. The result of all the cherries being ripe at the same time was a cup quality superior to what he usually produced.  Experiencing the potential of his farm sparked Creonisio’s curiosity about high-quality coffee and from that moment on he began learning everything he could about specialty coffee.

Creonisio soon discovered that the terroir, varieties, and farming approach handed down by his parents already produced cherries with the potential to be graded as specialty coffee. Through selective harvesting of only ripe cherries and by implementing the new techniques he was learning, he knew he could raise the quality of his coffee even further! This led Creonisio to build his first suspended terraces and that same year he produced his first bags of specialty graded coffee. The result…he received 3rd prize in the local coffee quality contest in Simonésia! It was here that he met FAF's Lado a Lado (Side by Side) project and immediately established a partnership.

Today, Creonisio leads a peaceful life with his family and his brother, José Claudio. Together they celebrate their family’s history through their dedication to cultivating coffee while working in harmony with the beautiful landscape that surrounds them. With great care and respect Creonisio continues to strengthen the connection with the land and traditions that make his work so unique.

about the coffee.

Creonisio Correa da Silva’s family farm, Sítio São Joaquim, is situated at 1150 - 1200 metres above sea level - a relatively high altitude for Brazil - in the fertile soils of the southeastern mountains of the well known state of Minas Gerais. 

This lot is a natural processed Catucaí 875 variety, which is a hybrid of Catuaí and Icatú, first discovered in Brazil in 1986. The farm has both the yellow and red cherries, the main difference is that the yellow variety ripens earlier in the season, which can be helpful for producers in order to get a jump on harvesting part of the farm while the red cherries continue to ripen. The compact Catucaí is also ideal for planting and managing throughout the year and makes cherries more accessible during the harvest. 

The collected ripe cherries are first sorted and then processed using the natural method. The whole fruit is dried intact, locking all the fruit's sugars in with the seed during drying. The resulting cup has increased body and fruit intensity, while the careful drying on Creonisio’s suspended terraces ensures even airflow and avoids overfermentation, maintaining a clean cup and excellent balance.

cup profile.

The terroir and varietal combine to create a surprising fruit sweetness in this filter coffee. The classic milk chocolate and nutty flavour we love in Brazilian coffee is joined with a dried cranberry tart sweetness and pleasant yellow plum acidity. The body is medium high with a coating creamy quality that finishes smooth with a lingering semi-sweet chocolate aftertaste.