Urban Fazendeiro: Notes from the “Field” in Rio De Janeiro / Minas Gerais

 (goats grazing on the land)

Not unlike 10 years ago, as I was sitting in NYC in M&A, a bit lost, tired and unsure as to the path I had taken, did I find myself entering the recruiting pitch at Merrill Lynch on Asia Pacific in March 2000. Twas not too long, when in that same July after having renounced the deal to go to London, did I find myself arriving at Chep Lap Kok airport to a life that I had dreamed and finally realized in HK. A life of “one’s” own.

 

Now 10 years later, at 35, was once again overcome sincerely by various conflicting sentiments here Lajeado in the South of Brazil, after a bit of turmoil. Yet, three weeks ago, in Rio de Janeiro once again life sprang its sunny face; I found myself signing the purchase papers to the farm, the “fazenda”, or more accurately the “sitio” here, where I am now finding ground (or earth, maybe better described). In Spanish “ground” and “earth”, share the same word, tierra. One slogan containing the word, in particular, I have found always both inspirational (as in “Tierra y Libertad”, the title of one of Bruno Traven’s books) and backward (as in “Tierra y Libertad”, in the world of software / machines / services, we can’t always associate land to liberty and vice versa).

 (view of the house)

In this case, tierra, or the land has been purchased as a refuge, which I hope to share with you - in fact in many ways was purchased with the sole intent of sharing with you. Tis nestled in the “Vale da Prata”, Silver Valley (quite furtuitous for my taste!), in the serra between the state of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. We are situated between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro highway, almost right in the middle!

The land has three small streams delineating the property’s various uneven boundaries and even a small “caida de agua”, which literally translates to waterfall, but I would find the latter definition as too ambitious to describe the small stream falling over the stone, nonetheless, there it is.   I thought immediately of the Bodhitsattva I had seen in one of Northern Hagashiyama's gardens in Kyoto and how natural it would look here in the land. I thought of building a garden of Jazmin Manga (Frangipanni), delineated with small gravel as in my favourite site in Paris, Jardin de Luxembourg.  Fantasized of a peach orchard and a natural cha plantation (my Chinese professor from Rio mentioned she could bring a shoot of “original” oolong from Taiwan).

 (the field)

Well, so I dream and the first step tis in process of being cemented (I still have to make a few installments in the land). I really hope you can make it out here. Tis an open invitation – a sincere one – always really happy to share. The farm makes goat cheese (48 goats!) and even comes with a horse – to which I will be sure to be kind.

So please come. I leave you with some pictures. Hopefully we can break bread, with a glass of wine in hand, contemplating the beauty of land and life.

 (baby goats feeding)