About The Coffee Farm
Fazenda Santana — Serra Negra, Brazil
Fazenda Santana is a family-owned specialty coffee farm located among the rolling mountains of Serra Negra, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Surrounded by green coffee fields, preserved vegetation and the cool climate of the region’s highlands, the farm represents generations of Brazilian coffee-growing tradition.
The farm sits at approximately 1,000 to 1,150 meters above sea level—3,281 to 3,773 feet—an elevation that encourages coffee cherries to mature more slowly. This extended development can help produce beans with greater natural sweetness, balanced acidity and more complex flavors.
Fazenda Santana primarily grows 100% Arabica Yellow Catuaí, a compact and productive coffee variety created in Brazil by crossing Yellow Caturra with Mundo Novo. The name Catuaí comes from the Tupi-Guarani language and is commonly translated as “very good.”
The coffee is traditionally naturally processed, meaning the ripe coffee cherries are dried with the fruit surrounding the seed. This method complements the variety’s naturally sweet character and contributes to familiar Fazenda Santana tasting notes such as honey, caramel, chocolate, praline and sugar cane.
Location
- Region: Serra Negra, São Paulo, Brazil
- Area: Bairro das Serras de Baixo e de Cima
- Approximate regional coordinates: 22.6° S, 46.7° W
- Elevation: 1,000–1,150 meters / 3,281–3,773 feet
- Coffee species: Coffea arabica
- Primary variety: Yellow Catuaí
- Typical process: Natural
The coordinates above identify the farm’s general area rather than a verified entrance or field location. The registered location places Fazenda Santana along the municipal road serving the Serras de Baixo e de Cima area of Serra Negra.
Fun facts
A name connected to local tradition: “Fazenda Santana” can be translated as Saint Anne’s Farm. A traditional celebration honoring Saint Anne takes place around harvest season, including a horseback procession to the farm’s chapel and a religious service attended by members of the surrounding community.
Coffee has shaped Serra Negra for generations: Large-scale coffee planting in the municipality dates to the nineteenth century. Italian immigrant families later arrived to work on the plantations, and the Mogiana railway helped transport the region’s coffee to wider markets.
Serra Negra means “Black Mountain”: The town’s name is often associated with the dark appearance of its mountainous landscape and the coffee-covered hills surrounding it.
The variety was developed in Brazil: Yellow Catuaí was bred in 1949 and officially released to Brazilian growers in 1972. Its shorter trees make field management and harvesting easier on mountainous farms.
The farm is part of the Boarding Pass Coffee story: Fazenda Santana is Murilo Santos’s family farm and provides the direct farm-to-cup connection behind Boarding Pass Coffee. The farm also holds special personal significance: Murilo and Christine celebrated their wedding on the property, surrounded by its coffee fields.
Scenes from the 2023 Festa Santana
The lead horse arrives bearing the banner for St. Ana.
Food stalls and a live music stage is set up next to the farm's light blue chapel. The bell tower is rung, announcing arrival of the procession.
The party is in full swing with concessions for the whole family. Set amidst the rolling coffee fields, there is no better way to relax on a beautiful day in the country.
To the left is the area where auctions and barbeque food stands are set up. The white building with red tiled roof in the center is the chapel, and the right is the music stage and more food stalls.
Scenes from past celebrations
