One of the best lots from Espirito Santo, with sparkling acidity and sweetness in the cup

The Fazenda Um located in Espirito Santo, started in 2019, sits closer to the coast with cooler winds and steeper slopes. Here, the family grows 16–17 different varieties, including promising ones like Paraiso and Arara. Selective picking is the norm, with pickers returning up to six times to harvest cherries at the right ripeness. A small washing station and plans for a dry mill reflect the farm’s growing infrastructure. From Minas Gerais to Espírito Santo, the Um family is redefining what Brazilian specialty coffee can be. Once focused on commercial output, today their farms are producing coffees used in competitions around the world.

About The Farmer & Farm
Stefano Um was not a coffee connoisseur.

Growing up in the rice fields of South Korea and then emigrating to Brazil at the age of 12, he was mostly concerned with living in the countryside that reminded him of home. That, and being able to retire comfortably.

When he purchased an abandoned farm south of Minas Gerais in 2009, it was an investment in just that. He had never worked in coffee before, but quickly realized he had a deep passion for growing, and began producing high quality, traceable coffees for Asian clients. And so, Fazenda Um was born.

Stefano quickly saw the potential that existed in Brazilian coffees, and realized the business could be—should be—expanded.

Um Coffee Co. was established in 2014 as a collaboration between Stefano and his two sons: Boram, a trained Q grader, and Garam, an SCA-trained coffee instructor. They opened a coffee shop, roastery, and coffee school in Sao Paulo. Being in the heart of the largest city in Brazil, Um Coffee Co. quickly became a household name in Brazilian specialty coffee culture—they were voted “best coffee shop in Sao Paulo” three times.

Today, Um Coffee Co. is focused on expanding and elevating Brazilian coffee through competitions and innovation at the production level. Boram and Garam are both competitive baristas, holding numerous national titles between Barista and Brewers cups respectively.