All the products of Fazenda Tamanduá comply with the DEMETER Production Norms, which is a seal for biological-dynamic agriculture.

Biodynamic Agriculture was disseminated to farmers by its Austrian creator, Rudolf Steiner, through conferences in Kuberwitz, Germany, in 1924. Steiner was the organizer of Goethe’s scientific work, which was the seed for the development of Anthroposophy, encompassing the areas of philosophy, pedagogy, medicine, the arts, agriculture, psychology, music, natural sciences, botany and economics. From then on, Biodynamic Agriculture flourished and is practiced worldwide today. 

This system treats the farm as an agricultural organism, enabling the integration of the different activities in the property –  animal/vegetable, people and the environment – for the production of foods which are balanced both in biological and nutritional composition and with the cosmic cycles.  It seeks a healthy relationship between countryside and town, by creating the conditions for a type of agriculture that is oriented toward a balance between the producer and the consumer. Synthetic chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, GM seeds, hormones or antibiotics are not used. 

DEMETER is a brand recognized all over the world for food resulting from Biodynamic agriculture.

BIODYNAMIC TOMMY AND KEITT MANGOES 

Fazenda Tamanduá’s mangoes are produced from grafted mango trees of the Tommy Atkins and Keitt varieties, which grow in the valley of the Conceição Brook, on the farm itself.

These mangoes were granted organic certification in the year 2000, and the DEMETER seal for Biodynamic products in 2004, by the Biodynamic Institute, IBD.

Fazenda Tamanduá also has supply agreements with small “integrated” producers, based in the Municipalities of São José do Bomfim, Catingueira and Catolé do Rocha, which are oriented and certified for biodynamic agriculture.

In addition to voluntary certification by the IBD, the Ministry of Agriculture also checks on the fulfillment of the legal rules throughout the processing of the fruit on the farm and during shipment abroad, which is carried out by sea through the Port of Natal (RN).

The mango trees are manured with organic compost produced on the farm itself, recycling the dung of the farm’s cattle as a source of nitrogen, with the addition of Jurema-Preta (a native bush with thorns), mesquite or mango-tree prunings, ground up as a source of carbon, and MB4 and phosphate from Bahia, which are mineral-rich sources. The pioneering production of compost made with wood-like waste, as well as the addition of animal fat, waste from the cheese production process, is part of research carried out by the Pernambuco Federal Rural University. (See further information on Organic Compost under Environmental Responsibility)

BIODYNAMIC CHEESES

In 2001, Fazenda Tamanduá’s milk and cheese production was certified by the IBD as Organic Cheese – the first in Brazil.  As soon as the certification was received, the cheeses started being sold as certified organic products. 

Brazil.  As soon as the certification was received, the cheeses started being sold as certified organic products. 

The milk is produced by cows of the Brown-Swiss race, almost all registered, whose hardy and adaptable nature is recognized in the sertão region. Since the seventies, strict selection has taken place on the Fazenda so as to maintain these characteristics, seeking to select the animals that are best adapted to the harsh climate conditions.

Four types of cheese are produced at Fazenda Tamanduá: three are of European origin – Saint Paulin, Reblochon and Ricotta types – and one is typical of North-east, the Coalho Cheese. They are processed entirely in the farm’s own dairy, which is inspected by the Federal Inspection Service (SIF), enabling the sale of products of animal and vegetable origin throughout the national territory.  

Back and front of packages from the first dairy in Brazil certified as Biodynamic and carrying the SIF seal

Unlike the two fresh cheeses, the Saint Paulin and Reblochon types are matured for periods that range from 20 to 30 days in special chambers, where the temperature and moisture content are controlled; they are brushed and turned over every day, before being sold.

Saint Paulin type cheese is French in origin, having been created by Trappist monks; returning from exile after the French Revolution, they moved into an abandoned monastery in South-eastern France, which they baptized as Notre-Dame-du-Port-du-Salut. There they started the production of a type of cheese made of cow’s milk for the community, which they called Port-du-Salut cheese. After the visit of the Reverend Father Abbot, who loved the cheese and took it to a merchant in Paris, it became a great commercial success. Nowadays, Saint-Paulin is made with pasteurized milk and is characterized by its creamy texture and delicate flavor.  

The Reblochon type is a traditional French cheese from the Savoy mountains, which are situated between France, Switzerland and Italy. Its name came from “reblochi” in the dialect of the Savoy region, which means “to milk again“. In fact, the cowherds milked the cows a first time in the presence of the owner, and after he left they would return to milk them once more. This second milking was used to produce small cheeses, easy to hide. On Fazenda Tamanduá, the cheese is produced with whole, biodynamic, pasteurized cow’s milk, and after 4 weeks maturing the cheese acquires a light ivory color, fine and smooth, with some round, shiny holes and a firm rind.  

Our Ricotta is a cheese whose production was approved both by the SIF and the IBD. Originating in the Mediterranean region and in the South of Italy, Ricotta is a mild, creamy product, with a delicate, pleasant texture; it has a neutral taste and can be mixed with sweet or savory food. A fresh product of high nutritious value and easily digested, Ricotta is more easily tolerated by people who don’t like milk and is recommended for use in diets and for diabetics.

According to Ministry of Agriculture Administrative Order no. 146, of March 7, 1996, ricotta may be classified as a lean product (10 to 25% fat content) and with high moisture content (never below 55%). Obtained from milk whey by the precipitation of proteins through heating and acidification, it permits the use of the whey from the cheeses produced at the Fazenda Tamanduá cheese factory.

Arrival of fresh milk at the reception of the Cheese Factory. Pasteurization. Ricotta Production.

Typical of the sertão region of North-eastern Brazil, Coalho Cheese arose out of the need of travelers, when going on long journeys, to store milk in bags (matulão) made from the stomachs of young animals. As a result, it was observed that the milk clotted and that the resulting mass was very tasty – that was the origin of "Coalho Cheese".

Until recently, these cheeses were obtained from fresh milk and, when matured, they were placed in the sun and the dew of the sertão nights. However, this product may be processed in different ways, according to the micro-region of the North-east. Fazenda Tamanduá’s biodynamic coalho cheese is produced with whole pasteurized milk, obtaining a mass that is pressed; its whey is removed, salt is added and it is eaten fresh or matured (from 3 to 5 days).

This cheese may be eaten fresh or with sweets or jams, as well as fried in a frying-pan or roasted on skewers.

All our facilities are inspected by the Federal Inspection Service (“SIF”) of the Ministry of Agriculture under no. 1312, which permits Mocó Agropecuária to sell its products throughout the country.

A little campanula sprang from the soil.                                                                                                                           
It appeared early and opened into a beautiful flower.
There comes a bee tasting it gently.
One has never existed without the other.
GOETHE

“Africanized” bees of the Apis species are obtained from migrating swarms of bees caught on the farm itself during the rainy season. The base wax with honey-comb cells for the development of biodynamic beekeeping is produced at the Honey and Wax Entrepôt on the Fazenda, using wax from our own bees.

On Fazenda Tamanduá, the bees’ “pasture” has a great diversity of wild vegetable species, typical of the Caatinga vegetation of the sertão region, naturally rich and well diversified, which results in honeys of excellent quality, with a specific density, aroma, color and flavor for each species. The main blooms – velame, marmeleiro and black mallow – occur during the rainy season, always offering a predominant plant during the blooming period. In the dry period or season, other wild species bloom, serving as food and/or sustenance for the bees – for example, mango, jurema preta, angico, juazeiro, pereiro and others.

Abundant Black Mallow pasture during the dry season. Detail of a bee seeking food in an Oiticica tree. Detail of the production of propolis in the bee hive.

Sixteen apiaries, each comprising 20 beehives on average, are located within the property, close to water reservoirs.

Our apiaries are located at a protective distance of at least 3 km from any conventional plantation, that is, a distance that ensures that the nectar collected by the bees is free of any chemical product. Because for biodynamic certification, the traceability of the final product is of great concern, taking into account that the honey must come from the property’s wild flora and that biodynamic preparations are applied every year.

WHAT IS BIODYNAMIC HONEY?

Biodynamic honey is understood to be a certified product, produced by bees from the nectar of flowers without any chemical residue, and that is not heated above 37.5º C, nor filtered under pressure; and in the management of beehives biodynamic preparations are applied, seeking a balance in the environment biodiversity.   

According to Rudolf Steiner, “plants take mineral salts from deep inside the soil, and, bathed by the sun, they give color, flavor and aroma to the nectar deposited in their flowers; bees add life values to this nectar and sweetness to the honey, and the beekeeper is the generous artist who, on sunny days, collects and delivers this sweetness to human beings.” Thus, according to this vision, to produce biodynamic honey is to place at people’s disposal the purest fruit of the work of these animals. 

The organoleptic qualities of Fazenda Tamanduá’s biodynamic honey, as well as the fact that this is the only biodynamic honey to be produced from predominant flora, have made this product a great success in the consumer market, which is increasingly demanding in terms of food quality.

The Entrepôt for Honey and Beeswax, as well as the tools used in the collecting, decantation, filtering and bottling processes, were approved by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Federal Inspection Service (“SIF”), under no. 1867, which allows us to sell all over Brazil. 

The product is sold in 300g glass jars, and in 25kg plastic pails for larger volumes. This is the only honey that, in addition to coming from biodynamic agriculture, has a description on the label of the prevailing bloom it comes from, allowing the consumer to choose.  

Different colors of honey according to the bloom: Velame, Marmeleiro and Black Mallow, respectively.

Fazenda Tamanduá also decided to disseminate the biodynamic beekeeping activity among small producers, and in January 2004 it signed a partnership with small farmers in the “Vale das Espinharas” region. At present, 13 beekeepers, specially trained, supervised and certified, work with the Fazenda, which guarantees fair prices and access to the market, besides undeniable quality. These small producers are located in the Municipalities of Patos, Santa Teresinha, São Mamede, São José de Espinharas and Piancó. (Find out more in the link Social Responsibility)

BIODYNAMIC GOAT’S MILK

A herd of dairy goats of the Brown Alpine breed produces certified biodynamic milk at Fazenda Tamanduá, within an area for these animals with a covered trough, open pasture area, fenced areas for pregnant goats, milking room, room for receiving and pasteurizing the milk, and store-room for the pasteurized milk.

This pasteurized milk, packed and frozen, is registered at the State Inspection Service. The product is sold mostly to the Santa Terezinha Town Hall’s distribution program, especially for the day-care center, maternity hospital and lower-income families of the municipality; and another part is sold at baker’s shops in the towns of Patos and João Pessoa.

Our “Luana” brand Goat’s Milk received the DEMETER certification in 2006, after the latest IBD inspection, and is the first biodynamic Goat’s Milk in Brazil.

Medicinal plants of the sertão region are being used successfully for the control of worms, using batata de purga, a native root, as well as rapid rotation in the fenced areas.

BROWN-SWISS BREEDING BULLS, COWS AND CALVES

With its herd of Brown-Swiss (Schwytz) cattle, resulting from over 30 years of selective breeding (since 1977), seeking to emphasize milk production but always preserving to the greatest extent possible the original hardiness of the breed – one of the oldest and purest in the world – Fazenda Tamanduá offers breeding bulls, cows and calves of high lineage, perfectly adapted to the semi-arid climate.

In addition to the native pasture, improved with buffel grass (cenchrus ciliaris) or capim corrente (urochloa), the cows receive mandante or andré-quicê grass, fresh or made into hay, planted in areas where the waters recede after floods; and silage made from forage sorghum at the farm during the rainy season. The balanced feed, formulated based on corn planted at the farm and mesquite pods, includes non-organic protein sources in compliance with the norms authorized by the certifying entity.

Aware of this limitation due to the climate of the sertão region, we are carrying out research into alternative sources of protein that may be produced in the region, such as spirulina, flôr de cêra, thornless favela, and leucena or moringa.

Native pasture at Fazenda Tamanduá. Brown-Swiss Cows

The genetics of these animals, which are registered at the Brazilian Association of Brown-Swiss Cattle Breeders with perfect traceability, are such that they that enable the production of milk with a high solids content, from which the biodynamic cheeses are produced. 

Sales are effected both directly at the farm itself, and by auction – the latest one took place in Piancó, PB. 

Brown-Swiss Cow. Milking. Brown-Swiss Calves at the age of about 90 days.

Fazenda Tamanduá is the pioneering producer of a native product, with a high nutritional quality because it is food that is rich in protein and processed whole (low industrialization): biodynamic red rice (Oriza sativa L.).

This is the recovery of a historic variety, whose cultivation was even forbidden in Brazil, in 1772, by the Governor of the State of Maranhão, Joaquim de Melo e Póvoas, under pain of the following sanctions: “Free men: one year in jail and payment of a fine of Rs. 100,000 (one hundred thousand reis) – half being for public works and the other half for the person denouncing; Slaves: two years in irons, with periodical thrashings during this time; Indians: only two years in irons”! This prohibition lasted for close to 120 years and almost did away with the variety, which survived mainly by migrating to the sertão regions of the States of Paraíba, Bahia and Minas Gerais.

The red rice, also called “Venice rice” or arroz-da-terra, originated in South-east Asia and was imported through Venice to Brazil, more precisely to the State of Maranhão, by the people of the Azores in the 17^th century. 

This product of high nutritional value is being produced by irrigation on the land of the “Águas da Tamanduá” (Tamanduá Waters), in the Municipality of Aparecida, sertão region of the State of Paraíba. Our seeds come from genetic improvement carried out by EMBRAPA Meio-Norte, under the guidance of Dr. José Almeida Pereira. We have a working agreement with EMBRAPA and are testing several cultivars, which will allow us to save this species definitively.

Red Rice Plantation. Harvest. Final product.

At present, red rice is gaining space in rice growing research, and Fazenda Tamanduá is giving value and disseminating the preservation of this valuable, centuries-old genetic asset, which is also cultural and nutritional.

ORGANIC MINI-WATERMELON AND SANCHO MELON  

Climatic conditions permitting (full reservoirs), Fazenda Tamanduá takes advantage of its valley lands in order to plant Mini-watermelons and Sancho type (“toad-skin”) melons, using drip irrigation; they are certified by the IBD.

This fruit is exported and is also sold in the domestic market, in the main supermarkets of Natal, Recife and João Pessoa.

Planting seedlings. Seedling of organic mini-watermelon and fruit in the field. Production ready to be shipped.

This crop is adapted to the region’s soil and climate conditions; it is cultivated within the organic production norms.

Photos and Texts: Fernanda Freire and Pierre Landolt
Revision: Pierre Landolt