Matriarch Series - Brazil, Doña Marta
ORIGINALLY RELEASED
August 2025
HIGHLIGHTS
Matriarch Series: Showcases coffee produced by women
Origin: Brazil - Serra dos Borges, Minas Geraís
Farm: Fazenda Sítio Cabeceira, operated by the Doña Marta and family
From: Coffee Shrub’s Farm Gate Program
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Taking these beautiful dry process Brazilian beans to a medium roast - expect bittersweet cocoa with hints of spice and dried fruit. Body, cocoa, and just a touch of berry - something fun for everyone.
ORIGIN STORY
This Matriarch Series coffee celebrates Doña Marta. Doña started the small farm Fazenda Sítio Cabeceira on land that her parents inherited. Her family has grown coffee in the region of Minas Geraís long before access roads existed – back then, coffee had to be transported by packhorse and cart.
Today, Brazil supplies nearly ⅓ of the world’s coffee, making it THE world’s largest coffee supplier. Within Brazil is Minas Geraís – known for its diverse microclimates and altitudes (and, consequently delicious specialty coffee showcasing a wide range of flavors), the region accounts for almost half of the country's total production. Today, Doña and her husband Evandro operate the farm. At just 1 hectare, this is a tiny farm compared to the larger coffee estates and commercial operations in the region.
When you drink this coffee, you’re supporting Doña and a multi-generational smallholder operation that exists in a town where big coffee reigns supreme. Buying this coffee is like buying a children’s book from Meg Ryan’s Shop Around the Corner in You’ve Got Mail, and not from Fox Books down the street. (I’m sure this reference is only landing for certain folks in a certain age bracket, but for those of you who get the reference - thank you.)
I’m elated to be able to roast this coffee for you. Bringing you some of the best of what Brazil has to offer, from a woman who’s leading the charge.
The coffee is part of Coffee Shrub’s direct trade buying program called “Farm Gate.” Through this program, Coffee Shrub is committed to paying coffee producers premium prices for quality coffee. At a minimum, Farm Gate guarantees prices that are 50% over Fair Trade (FT) pricing, and oftentimes are 100%+ more than FT minimums.
MORE ABOUT THE MATRIARCH SERIES
Our Matriarch Series exclusively highlights coffee from female producers worldwide. Women play a major role in coffee production, often performing the hardest and most critical manual labor, while juggling their responsibilities of managing the household. These superwomen not only rarely get the spotlight, they also lack the same access to capital and resources as their male counterparts. Our intent with this series is to not only celebrate the amazing women in the coffee supply chain, but also to ensure they are paid a premium for their hard work and to work directly with organizations that have committed to improving equity for women in the coffee value chain wherever possible.
