Working as a share cropper on a neighbouring farm, Nilson saved enough money to buy the 5.8 hectares of Sitio Pirapitinga which he is now able to call his own

Share cropping is where a tenant farmer pays rent with a percentage of the harvest.

Altitude has to be the single most important environmental factor that contributes towards cup quality and at 1300m Pirapitinga has a very privileged position indeed. This is about the upper limit that coffee will grow in this region of Brazil. Any higher and frost becomes a major threat but here the maturation is perfectly slow.

His coffee is sun dried on patios near to the farm house.