Eduardo and Roberta Soares Periera own one of the biggest coffee nurseries in Brazil and are locally famous for developing cutting edge cultivars. They do quality mapping across processing styles, and win regional awards for their success in the cup.

The varietal they grow, Paraiso (aka paradise), is a cross between a Timor Hybrid and the Yellow Catuai. It produces yellow coffee cherries when ripe and is highly resistant to the Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) Disease. CLR was first discovered in Brazil over 50 years ago, and is now found in nearly all the world’s coffee growing regions. A fungus that grows on the surface of a coffee leaf, disallowing proper photosynthesis, is responsible for many failed harvests since 1970.

For this 2023 harvest, Eduardo and Roberta built a shade-covered patio to slow down the coffee drying process, aiming to extend the coffee’s shelf life (pre-roasted). They are also experimenting with using wild yeasts cultured from the farm, converting their production to equipment that uses less water in an effort to preserve wild microflora on the outside of coffee cherry.