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In The Interior Of Minas Gerais, A Farm In Candeias Shows A Country Life With Reclaimed Wood, An Orchid Garden, And A Quality Of Life Much Higher Than The City
At Voz do Votão farm in Candeias, Minas Gerais, craftsman Elso transformed five acres into a scene of peace with a water wheel, a windmill, a bountiful orchard, a fish tank, and an orchid garden supported by roots that were headed for the fire. Instead of concrete and traffic noise, the routine there consists of reclaimed wood, flowing water, and time to sit on a bench under the trees.
For many people, it is “just” a small farm in the countryside. For the owner, it is a life project designed for the whole family, named in honor of his parents and lovingly prepared for his children and grandchildren to inherit in the future. He assures that the quality of life on the farm is 80% better than in the city, with fewer problems and much more meaning in daily life.
A Small Farm That Became A Family Paradise
The Voz do Votão farm is located in Candeias, in the interior of Minas Gerais, with about five acres divided into pasture, orchard, reservoir, coffee drying area, and leisure space.
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Elso likes to joke that the place is small, but it only takes a few minutes of walking to realize the opposite.
There are about 15 heads of crossbred cattle scattered throughout the pens, a pig just for consumption, chickens pecking around, a tank with tilapia and surubim, and an orchard with lychee, acerola, apple, pear, and pitanga. He laughs and says that he “pretends to be a farmer” because he has a bit of everything on a compact farm, but it’s all fully utilized.
The name Voz do Votão was not chosen by chance. Elso named the farm in honor of his parents, thinking of his children and grandchildren.
Thus, when they inherit the property, the name will forever be linked to their grandparents, without needing to change. The children like the farm, the daughter visits frequently, and the grandson runs freely around the playground and trails.
Farm With Water Wheel, Windmill, And Fish Tank
At the lower part of the farm, a water wheel catches the eye. It is not just decoration: the wheel was designed and built by Elso himself to pump water from the cistern to the fish tank.
The pump manufacturer even said it wouldn’t work. Elso didn’t believe it, set up the system his way, and proved the opposite.
The wheel pulls the water, creates a small waterfall, and feeds the tank where tilapia and a surubim weighing about 5 kg live, used to “control the mess” of the smaller fish’s reproduction.
Nearby, a windmill completes the scene. It also pumps water from a cistern to the tank, ensuring supply even on hot days. Water flows, falls into small springs, settles, and returns clean to the tank, in a simple and efficient cycle that keeps the farm always alive.
Additionally, there are wells, water tanks, and cisterns scattered throughout the land. The farm was designed to make the most of every drop, both for consumption and for irrigation and breeding.
Corral, Coffee Drying Area, And Clean Pasture On The Farm
The farm has a small but well-constructed corral, designed for the 15 heads of cattle that the property supports. Elso jokes that his cattle are so surrounded by larger farms, with herds of 700 heads on each side, that they could almost wag their tails into the neighbors’ land.
The coffee drying area, with a clean and organized floor, receives the harvest for sun drying. In the pens, the pasture impresses with its cleanliness: almost no trash, little dirt, well-maintained fences. He admits that sometimes rain interferes with mowing, but makes it clear that he tries to keep the farm always in order, from the corral to the gate.
Between one visit to the corral and another to the drying area, it is common to stop under a surrounded yellow ipe tree, with new seedlings protected and roots left strategically on the ground, waiting to become benches, supports, or garden pieces. Nothing is thrown away without first being observed carefully.
Orchid Garden And Reclaimed Roots
One of the most striking points of the farm is the orchid garden created with roots, trunks, and pieces of wood that were destined to be burned. Many of these pieces came from neighbors who were going to set fire to roots and stumps considered “useless.”
Elso collected everything and transformed them into supports. Almost all the woods in the garden host orchids or desert roses, which grow attached to the roots as if they had always been part of them.
There are old farm troughs used as flower pots, whole roots cut and sanded to become plant holders, trunks adapted as bench bases, and totems filled with colorful orchids. In many cases, he uses sucupira slices as support for pots, taking advantage of the rustic texture of the wood.
Near the house, a fountain purchased in Tiradentes, admired for three years before finally being brought to the farm, integrates into the scene. The sound of running water blends with the flowers, the vintage Monark bicycle used as a decorative piece, and the lawn that frames the garden.
The rule is simple: do not burn good wood. If it can become landscaping, it does. If it can become a bench, table, or support, it gains a second life on the farm.
Rustic Reclaimed Wood Furniture On The Farm
Outside the house, the farm showcases furniture that gives the feel of a rural movie set. Several benches and tables were made by Elso himself, always with reclaimed wood and old ox cart parts.
One of the most striking benches is made with two original ox yokes, traction chains, and a plank from a pequi tree.
At the base, sucupira trunks support everything comfortably. The result is a heavy, rustic, and comfortable bench that carries history in every wear of the wood.
Another favorite is the breakfast table, with a top made from sucupira slices, custom-made metal legs, and matching benches.
He almost always gets the wood from neighbor friends who donate boards and trunks that would be discarded, while the metal fittings are ordered to fit the original idea.
Inside the house, broken boards from the corral become picture frames, a rustic alcohol fireplace, and finishing details in gourmet furniture. Everything is made at a hobby’s pace, in free time, but with the eye of a craftsman.
As if that wasn’t enough, the playground for the grandson and the son of the caretaker was also built with treated eucalyptus wood. A fiber slide, robust structure, swings, and ladders are part of the children’s space, which ends with laughter, wet bottoms from the pool, and a sun-heated slide.
A Farm With Landscaping And History In Every Corner
Along the paths of the farm, details appear that demonstrate care for the visual and the memory. In front of the house, an old ox cart yoke became a centerpiece of decoration. On the roof, a small mini ox cart was placed near a barrel of sugarcane liquor.
Old clocks, a ship’s helm, retro pieces, and scavenged objects complete the scene and dialogue with the rustic benches, the trimmed lawn, and the view of the lake. Every corner seems designed for sitting, gazing at the landscape, and letting time pass more slowly.
The pool, the pergola with a view of the reservoir, the staircase made from railway sleepers, and the roots scattered across the lawn complete the ensemble. It is not a luxury farm; rather, it is a place full of meaning, where every choice connects with the history of the countryside and the desire to preserve the environment.
Life In The Countryside 80% Better Than In The City
Elso has lived permanently on the farm for seven years. He says that when he was young, he didn’t like the countryside and only discovered a taste for it later in life. Today, he says he goes to the city and can’t wait to return home.
In his view, the quality of life in the countryside is 80% better than in the city. Problems exist, but they are small compared to what one gains in tranquility, connection with nature, and autonomy.
Being able to harvest food from his own backyard, see cattle in the pasture, pick fruit from the tree, and sit on a bench he built himself carries a weight that is hard to measure.
For him, the greatest luxury is being able to wake up, look at the whole farm, see that everything there has been cared for by his hands, and know that he is preparing a place for his children and grandchildren to continue this story.
In the end, Voz do Votão is not just a piece of land, but a summary of everything he values: family, manual labor, respect for the environment, and a simple lifestyle filled with purpose.
And you, would you trade city life for a farm like this, with a water wheel, reclaimed wood, and an orchid garden in Candeias, Minas Gerais?
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Uma pessoa reagiu a isso.