Paulo Sergio Almeida inherited Terezinha (the family estate) from his father and in 1983, armed with a degree in agronomy, converted to biodynamic organic production—that’s a fancy way of saying that the farm is well-diversified with dairy cattle, pigs, chickens, and the production of cereal grains.

But he didn’t stop there. Paulo plants vegetation between the rows of coffee to prevent soil erosion and eliminate the need for herbicides. Manure from the farm animals runs through a system of terraced ponds which separates the solid waste for use as compost. He has also developed a special amino acid plant food extracted from fish emulsion, wheat germ, and soybean flour which helps build a strong root system for the coffee trees. Twenty percent of the farm is set aside as a natural forest reserve, which is home to a large variety of monkeys and birds. The farm has 24 full-time employees and, during the harvest season, fifteen additional workers are hired from the local community.

For years, Paulo has been a leader in his community by openly sharing his knowledge and skills surrounding organic coffee production. He saw a need to create a school to nurture and inculcate these pursuits with young coffee farmers in the area and, with the help an Allegro Special Reserve donation, is buying supplies and overseeing the conversion of an old farmhouse on Terezinha into a dynamic, hands-on organic school.