AIDS Walk Austin 2009 Events

By JoelShuler | Published: September 28, 2009



AIDS Walk 2009



I am pleased to announce that Casa Brasil will be participating in the AIDS Walk Austin 2009. The walk is Sunday, October 18 at 1:30pm, and between now and then there are a lot of fun ways you can participate.  Here are four:



  1. DRINK GREAT COFFEE. Buy a red-ribboned Casa Brasil Coffee at any Austin-area Whole Foods Market between October 3-18.  For each can of coffee purchased at Whole Foods Market, Casa Brasil will donate one dollar to AIDS Services of Austin



  2. WALK WITH US.  Go to our AIDS Walk Website and join our team. You won’t regret it.



  3. EAT, DRINK, DONATE.   We will be hosting a Brazilian BBQ Benefit on Saturday October 10, from 7pm-10pm here at Casa Brasil (5213 Evans Ave). All beef is Niman Ranch Certified Angus Beef and beer will be a gourmet selection of local brews. Salads and Sides (farofa, pao de queijo, etc) will authentically Brazilian.  For a $40 donation, it is all you can eat and drink. Good food. Good times. Good cause. Call 512-407-9887 or  email us to reserve your seat. We will be limited to 50 seats, so please act soon.



  4. CONTRIBUTE ONLINE.  Help us meet our donation goal and give to this great cause. Go to our AIDS Walk Website to donate.



Thanks for your support. Consistent with our progresso message, you can enjoy yourself with great coffee, great food, and know that while you are adding to the enjoyment of your life, you are helping others add to theirs.  You can get further updates here on the blog or on twitter. Thanks so much, and we look forward to seeing you!
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Visit to School in Poco Fundo

By Allen Shafer | Published: September 17, 2009

Here are a few pictures from my recent visit to the private school in Poco Fundo where we sponsor students, and hope to keep growing the program with everyone’s help.  Unfortunately for two of the girls, Estela and Caroline, my visit was right in the middle of class.

I had Rebecca, the acting translator, apologize to Estela for this picture... Behind the photographer is the whole class still in their seats...

I had Rebecca, the acting translator, apologize to Estela for this picture. Behind the photographer is the whole class still in their seats...

Here is Caroline sitting in class right as the principal barges in with us.

Here is Carolina sitting in class right as the principal barges in with us.

Believe me, I did not intend on interrupting class for my visit.  I was hoping I could catch the girls between classes to meet them, but  everyone was very welcoming of visitors and stopped everything in both classes for this visit.  So, after learning from my visit to Estela’s class, I brought the whole class into the picture for Caroline.

There's Caroline in the middle and the principal right next to me on the right.

Here I am with the Freshmen class, and the principal. Caroline is in the middle with the pink and white jacket.

The school also has an organic garden program, which is great because many of these kids are sons and daughters of coffee producers and if they follow in the footsteps of their parents they will have a solid base knowledge on the principles and advantages of organic farming.

Organic garden taken care of by the students

Organic garden taken care of by the students

Pro Pic

Just playing around before the afternoon session with the younger kids.

Playing around before the afternoon session with the younger kids.

Regardless of age, I have a feeling these kids could have taught me some moves if it wasn't raining.

Regardless of age, I have a feeling these kids could have taught me some moves if it wasn't raining.

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Coffee Scientist on “Coffee Scientist”

By Shawn Steiman | Published: September 4, 2009

(Editor’s Note:  I first met Dr. Shawn Steiman at the Association for Science and Information on Coffee (ASIC) conference last year in Campinas, Brazil (Click Here for Conference Link).  A coffee scientist and consultant based in Hawaii, his The Hawai‘i Coffee Book: A Gourmet’s Guide from Kona to Kaua‘i is the first comprehensive overview of Hawaiian coffee available to the public as well as an excellent source for coffee knowledge in general (Click Here for Amazon.com link and Here for Hawaii Books Link).  I asked him to write an entry for our Casa Brasil blog and was delighted when he accepted. More biographical information on Dr. Steiman and links to his own blog and consultant practices are found below. – Joel Shuler)

Invariably, when I tell people my occupation, the response is “what exactly does a coffee scientist and consultant do?”  A lot, I tell them.  In the simplest of terms, I try to help folks in the coffee industry produce better coffee, sustainably.
I earned a PhD in Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Hawai‘i.  Realistically, though, I ended up studying several sub-disciplines of coffee science (horticulture, ecology, physiology, chemistry, and sensory science).  To keep true to my academic roots currently, I stay abreast of the scientific literature and I have my hands in a number of research projects.
Most of my time, though, is actively spent in the coffee industry.  I work with farmers, roasters, and retailers, helping them with production, quality, education, or solutions to problems.  I also do a lot of consumer education.  I give seminars as often as possible and I offer tastings and cuppings to help people understand that good coffee is worth spending the time and effort to find.
So, why am I telling you all of this on a blog for a Brazil-focused coffee roaster?  Because it is this history that first took me to Brazil.  I went to Brazil to attend the biennial conference of the Association for Science and Information of Coffee (ASIC).  If I weren’t an avid coffee geek and coffee scientist, I’d never have seen the world’s largest producer of coffee.
More importantly, I wouldn’t have discovered how alike Brazilian coffee researchers are to the ones in Hawai‘i.  Certainly, there are different challenges and conditions to deal with in each origin.  Nonetheless, the underlying passion and interest for coffee is the same in both places.  At the end of the day, most of us scientists just want to help coffee folk make better coffee.
Few people realize how much scientific work and exploration goes not just into producing, but enhancing the coffee experience.  While some coffees taste great quite by accident, many of them are the result of implementing results from careful experimentation and interpretation.  Brazilian scientists are on the forefront of such efforts.  In fact, there are probably more people researching coffee in Brazil than anywhere else.
Brazil is one of the few coffee origins that is a major consumer as well as producer.  Hence, the research going on there covers the whole coffee gamut- from seed to cup.  Nary an area of coffee research is left out.  Brazil justly earned its right to host the most recent ASIC conference.
The next time you sip some coffee from Brazil (or elsewhere), take a minute to think of all the farmers, processors, roasters, and retailers that helped bring that coffee to your mug.  Then, take an extra minute to appreciate the scientists who, working even more behind the scenes, helped get that coffee to you.

About Dr. Steiman
Shawn Steiman, PhD, is a coffee scientist and consultant based in Honolulu.  His company, Coffea Consulting, works with all members of the coffee industry, all over the world, to promote sustainability and quality.  He is also the author of The Hawai‘i Coffee Book: A Gourmet’s Guide from Kona to Kaua’i, published by Watermark Publishing.

Consulting:
Coffea Consulting
Cafemakers Consulting

The Hawai‘i Coffee Book: A Gourmet’s Guide from Kona to Kaua‘i

The Hawai'i Coffee Book

Available at:
Bookshawaii.net
Amazon.com

Regular Blog:
http://www.roaste.com/CafeRoaste/CoffeeBlogs/shawn

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What Does The Guy Who Grew My Coffee Listen To?

By JoelShuler | Published: August 13, 2009

For the sake of a blog title, I force the stereotype that all producers like country music (or at least all those from whom we bought coffee). Probably not true; however, probably not far from it either.  The point of this entry is to give you a  better sense of the culture of the coffee grower, and whether he/she personally listens to it or not, this culture is that of  Música Caipira and Música Sertaneja. Música Caipira is roots country music and is represented by the upper clips below. Sertaneja is a more recent phenomenon made popular by duos such as Chitãozinho & Xororó, Leandro e Leonardo, and Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano. When you watch the clips, the difference between Música Caipira and Sertaneja will become evident. I have perhaps weighted the list more towards Música Caipira and antiquity, since record sales show that Sertaneja is far more popular. In some ways, what I have done would be the same as saying ” What Does the Guy who Raised Your Steak Listen To?” and then show clips of Hank Williams, Elizabeth Cotten, Bob Wills, etc. In an effort to mitigate my personal bias, I have included some more recent musicians at the bottom; musicians that some of the younger growers (or the children of growers) might listen to – the Garth Brooks and Kenney Chesneys of Brazilian Country Music.

Tonico e Tinoco

Helena Meirelles

Zé Coco do Riachão

Pena Branca e Xavantinho

Alvarenga & Ranchinho

Zé Fortuna e Pitangueira

Tião Carreiro e Pardinho

Renato Teixeira

Chitãozinho & Xororó

Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano

Bruno e Marrone

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Brief Etymology and Geography of the Mogiana Coffee Region

By JoelShuler | Published: August 10, 2009

Etymology
The Mogiana coffee region, which runs along the São Paulo side of a stretch of the São Paulo/Minas border, is named after the Companhia Mogiana Estrada de Ferro train line that ran through this area.

Photo of Mogyana Rail Car

One of the old Mogiana freight cars is now a sandwich shop in Poços de Caldas. (Photo by Joel Shuler)

Geography
As you can see by the map below, what distinguishes Mogiana from Sul de Minas is mainly the political border dividing Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais.  Differences between microclimates within the regions are far greater than general regional differences.  A Vale da Grama coffee, such as Fazenda Recreio,  displays higher acidity and more fruit than a coffee from Franca. Both are Mogiana coffees.

Map of Brazilian Coffee Regions

Map of Brazilian Coffee Regions (Source BSCA)

Sub-Regions
The Mogiana Region is further divided into two “sub regions:” Alta Mogiana and Média Mogiana.   Perhaps I have just missed it in conversation, but I rarely hear anyone refer to the Média Mogiana region.  This could be that in coffee, as generally the higher the better, “Alta” would be better than “Media.” This is a misnomer, though, as “Alta” refers to an area whose latitude is further north, not a region of higher altitude.    In fact, some of the highest altitudes in the region are actually found in Média Mogiana, in the Vale do Grama.  This map shows us the suubregions of Alta Mogiana (blue) and Média Mogiana (green).  Furthermore, the origin on this “Alta” refers to the fact that this was further from the train line origin of Campinas, not necessarily the latitude (ie in English it would mean “further down the tracks.”)

São Paulo Coffee Regions Map

São Paulo Coffee Regions (Source I.A.C - Ciiagro)

History of the Companhia Mogiana Estrada de Ferro
Founded in 1882, Companhia Mogiana Estrada de Ferro, was founded largely to accompany the expansion of coffee plantations into the northeast corner of the state of São Paulo. Headquartered in Campinas, the lines eventually ran to Araguari, Minas Gerais. Hit hard by the Depression, the company never fully recovered. In 1952 the state of São Paulo took over operations and in 1971 the line was absorbed by FEPASA, the state-run railroad company. With the privatization of state-owned enterprises in the late 90’s in Brazil (started by Collor and continued by Cardoso), FEPASA was bought by FERROBAN.

Here is a great site on the history of the Companhia Mogiana Estrada de Ferro (and in English): http://www.tsfr.org/~efbrazil/cmef.html

Here is the wikipedia link, although the article is only available in Portuguese: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companhia_Mogiana_de_Estradas_de_Ferro

The Companhia Mogiana de Estradas de Ferro was a created Brazilian railroad company in 1872 with headquarters in the São Paulo city of Campinas. Its construction is enrolled in the history of the expansion of the culture of the coffee in direction to the interior of then the Province of São Paulo, consisting, initially, for a simple prolongation of the existing railroad then, until Mogi-Mirim and of a branch for Support, with a pursuing until the edges of the Great river. The proposal original, however, to extend its tracks until Goiás, to the north, never occurred.

Companhia Mogyana de Estradas de Ferro (Song = “Trenzinho do Caipira” by Villa-Lobos)

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