FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions
Camocim Products | Our Estate | Our Farming Methods
Welcome. This page is meant to supply our customers and sales partners with information to clarify commonly asked questions about our products, our estate, and our farming methods. Your input in this area is welcome and will allow us to improve this site and better serve your needs. If you don’t find what you are looking for, please enter your question below along with your email and we will respond to you as quickly as we can. Our goal is to provide you with the best information to make your sales efforts a success!
Camocim Products
What is the difference between the red and yellow varieties of coffee that you produce?
We find that the red varieties tend to be more full-bodied than the yellow varieties. Like comparing the differences between a full-bodied cabernet and a fine and delicate pinot noir. Of course, we enjoy both varieties and would encourage you to sample them and determine which best suits your taste.
If the Jacu Bird consumes so much of your best cherries, why don’t you remove these pests from the farm?
The Jacu bird is a natural inhabitant of our region and, although it may appear to compete with our customers for our finest cherries, it is an integral part of the delicate agro-florestal system upon which our philosophy is based. We may never know exactly all of the benefits these birds contribute to the health and welfare of the farm, but the last thing we want to do is remove them from their natural environment and upset the balance of nature only to discover, in their absence, what their contributions were. The old adage rings true “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” The Jacu always leads us to the ripest, most flavorable cherries and as an added bonus returns the coffee to us with a little something extra that makes for an excellent specialty level cup of coffee. You could say we are the ultimate “bird friendly” coffee farm.
Does honey made from organic coffee blossoms taste differently than honey made from other flowers?
The taste profile of honey will vary depending upon the pollen used by the bees in the process of its manufacture. Our organic coffee blossoms contribute to a sweet, complex aromatic flavor with a hint of earth and coffee. Of course, every palate is different so you’ll need to try it yourself to be sure.
Our Estate
How large is your estate and how much coffee can you produce per year?
Our Estate consists of two farms, Camocim and Atalaia. We have a total land area of 300 hectares of which approximately 50 hectares are used for coffee cultivation. We have over 270,000 producing coffee trees and we are planting an additional 50,000 trees in 2007/2008. We are capable of producing approximately 42,000 kilos of beans per year, depending on weather conditions. Through our Origins partners we are capable of bringing an additional 180,000 kilos of organic and/or biodynamic coffees to our customers around the world.
How do you handle the coffee beans post harvest to achieve such a sweet flavor?
Our cultivation methods play a large part in the flavor of our coffees, but like McDonald’s secret sauce, the Colonel’s secret recipe and Coca-Cola’s vault protected formula, this is our trade secret.
Are your farm workers full-time employees of the estate or do you bring in migrant workers to assist with the harvest?
We take great pride in our team at the farm. All of our personnel are permanent employees who take part in all aspects of the cultivation, post production and marketing of our products. We believe this serves the sustainability of our process, improves the quality of the lives of our team members and increases the longevity and production capabilities of our coffee trees.
Our Farming Methods
By employing organic/biodynamic farming practices are you able to achieve a greater yield from the your coffee trees than other producers in your area using conventional non-organic methods?
We have found that our yield has been equal to or greater than other, non-organic coffee producing farms in our area. This is especially true during times of adverse weather conditions, where we tend to out perform these other producer as nature has a way of protecting and nurturing our crop during these periods.
During growing seasons with adverse weather conditions, do your farming methods make a difference in the quality if the season’s harvest?
We definitely see a difference during times of adverse weather conditions. The methods used at the farm, allow nature to adjust to these variances, without short-term artificial interference and to protect our crops from the stress and damage caused by such extremes thus allowing us to produce the best coffee possible for any given set of elements.
How has your success with biodynamic farming practices influenced other coffee growers in your region?
We hope that other producers in our area will notice our success and introduce organic and/or biodynamic farming methods at their farms in order to improve sustainability and quality of their product and contribute to the environment in such a way as to restore it to it’s natural self sustaining and fertile state.
