Cultivating Excellence: The Champion's Pursuit of Perfect Coffee

From Conventional Roots to Specialty Coffee Ascendancy: A Family's Pioneering Shift

World Barista Champion Boram Um provides an insightful glimpse into his family's coffee cultivation endeavors across their Brazilian estates in Minas Gerais and Esp\u00edrito Santo. He recounts the initial struggles of establishing their farm in 2009, revealing that almost half of their 200,000 coffee trees perished in the early years due to a nascent understanding of coffee farming. This challenging beginning, coupled with the unsustainability of the commercial coffee model, prompted a strategic pivot towards specialty coffee production.

Adapting and Innovating: Cultivating Resilient Coffee Varieties Amidst Environmental Challenges

Initially, the Um family cultivated traditional coffee varieties such as Red Catua\u00ed, Yellow Bourbon, and Mundo Novo. However, these proved vulnerable to climatic stresses, including intense sunlight and erratic rainfall. In response, they embarked on innovative agricultural strategies, incorporating shade trees like graviola and experimenting with unique varietals such as Geisha and Wush Wush under shaded conditions. This adaptive approach has yielded promising results, though the delicate balance between floral notes and optimal sweetness remains a continuous learning process.

Crafting Championship-Winning Beans: The Art of Long-Term Coffee Cultivation

A significant highlight of the farm's evolution is their Pink Bourbon plot, which yields 30\u201360 bags annually from 15,000 trees. This specific yield was instrumental in Boram Um's World Barista Championship victory, underscoring the farm's dedicated focus on specialty cultivation from its inception. Boram emphasizes that coffee farming is a protracted endeavor, characterized by incremental improvements each season, ultimately revealing the most effective cultivation methods.

Innovation from Seedling to Drying: Pioneering Techniques for Enhanced Coffee Quality

The Um family's commitment to innovation extends to their nursery, where they cultivate their own seedlings, allowing for genetic control and experimentation with novel varieties. Their drying facilities showcase a blend of traditional raised beds and concrete patios, complemented by Boram's preferred dark room drying technique. This method, designed to facilitate slow, continuous fermentation during the drying process, significantly enhances the coffee's complexity and sweetness.

Expanding Horizons: The New Frontier of Specialty Coffee in Esp\u00edrito Santo

The journey of innovation continues at Fazenda Um in Esp\u00edrito Santo, a newer farm established in 2019. Situated near the coast, it benefits from cooler winds and steeper terrains, fostering the cultivation of 16\u201317 diverse coffee varieties, including the promising Arara. The farm employs selective picking, with harvesters making multiple passes to ensure optimal ripeness, and is developing its infrastructure with a small washing station and plans for a dry mill.

A Vision for the Future: Redefining Brazilian Coffee on the Global Stage

From the historic lands of Minas Gerais to the coastal regions of Esp\u00edrito Santo, the Um family is revolutionizing the perception of Brazilian specialty coffee. Their transition from commercial production to cultivating competition-caliber beans represents a significant shift. Boram envisions a future where the discourse around Brazilian coffee moves beyond national identity to celebrate the unique contributions and distinctive terroirs of individual farmers.