Farmers in Paraty usually prepare the soil for cassava cultivation between May and September, when the weather is still sunny but rainfall is lighter. They begin by clearing the land with a sickle or brush cutter

to make way for planting. In the past, this was done communally: farmers helped one another, and the workday often ended with a ciranda dance. Today, though the parties are less common, some still

uphold the tradition of dias trocados — a reciprocal labor system passed down through generations.

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The cleared land needs to breathe. That’s why some let the vegetation dry out naturally before planting. Coivara — a slash-and-burn technique once used for brush clearing — has largely been replaced

by newer land management practices. After the clearing, shallow holes are dug with a hoe, evenly

spaced about one meter apart. 

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Cassava stems, or ramas, about a handspan long, are buried in the holes. Each stem is planted with

care: the eye of the rama — the point from which the new plant sprouts — must be firmly and properly positioned in the soil. “I know what a rama is, what good soil is. That’s been my life,” says Norival Moreira de Souza, a farmer for 58 years, proudly.

The plant adapts well to the hills between the sea and the mountains, and grows harmoniously alongside corn, beans, and squash in the same plot. When the rama sprouts, the farmer “mounds” the base, covering it with soil until it takes hold. Then comes the weeding — to keep the brush from taking over.

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Each variety has its own timing. Aipim — or sweet cassava — matures more quickly: it can be harvested

in seven months. Bitter cassava, used to make flour, requires at least a year and a half. The harvest is done by hand, pulling out the entire plant. If the plant is strong, the rama becomes a cutting for the

next crop. And the cycle begins again.