Recreio

A fifth-generation farmer and an Agricultural Engineer, Diogo Dias manages Fazenda Recreio and blends tradition and innovation with his growing practices. Since 1890, the Dias family have owned the 220-hectare Fazenda Recreio in the Vale de Grama region of São Paulo – Diogo Dias is following in his parent's footsteps by taking over the management of the farm from Homero and Maria, and implementing significant improvements to their processing methods.

The Catigua variety is a fantastic example of the advantages of a hybrid cross. Catigua is a cross between Catuai and Hibrido de Timor, creating a distinguished cultivar that has a high productivity, exceptional cup quality, and a high resistance to Coffee Leaf Rust, making it favourable for sustainable and organic-leaning farming practices. 

Cherries are harvested with a combination of manual and mechanical picking, before being pulped and dried with the mucilage fully in tact. With some of Diogo's new criteria for separating and drying, cherries are split into suspended containers to keep individual lots organised and increase the traceability across the farm and supply chains. Drying then takes place on raised beds under covered patios and are carefully tended to until an ideal 11% moisture content is reached.