Inês Cecília and Rudi Lottermann are a couple so deeply connected to agriculture that they spent their honeymoon planting Valencia orange saplings. “And 40 years later, they’re still producing,” says Rudi proudly, finishing the story his wife had begun telling. “We’ve always worked together in agriculture,” recalls Inês, with a smile that rarely leaves her face — and that grows even wider when she sees the grandchildren gathered among the orchards.

Those still-fruiting saplings were the beginning of a family whose energy radiates through their land and involvement with the cooperative. Of Inês and Rudi’s five children, two remained in agriculture: Marcos, who served as vice president of Ecocitrus during the 2019–2021 term, and Vilson, a strong advocate for biodynamic agriculture, homeopathy, and agroforestry systems.

Rudi says their transition to organic began after he attended an event where the speaker stated: “Blessed is the one who quickly feels the effects of poison when applying it.” That phrase stuck with him, prompting a shift toward a lifestyle that takes into account his own health — and, as a result, the health of his family and the planet.

Family labor is the norm on the Lottermann property. Vilson works side by side with his wife Cândida, with whom he has four children — one of them still in the womb in the photos. “It was him who convinced me to return to farming,” she says. Though trained as a physiotherapist, she no longer practices. “Returning was our family project,” she adds. Vilson worked for 10 years in a construction company but had always dreamed of becoming a farmer. He fulfilled that dream in 2012 — two years after Marcos, who returned in 2010.

Marcos, like Vilson, also spent five years working for a construction firm. He has a degree in Business Administration, and tired of the stress-filled corporate routine, he decided to come back to the land. Initially, his parents resisted, believing there was no room for growth. But Marcos ran the numbers and presented spreadsheets, showing them that the decision was, in fact, profitable.

In his first year as a farmer, in 2010, Marcos harvested 1,000 crates on the few hectares he managed. He began building partnerships with neighbors, scaling up production, and by 2019, had harvested over 14,000 crates. At the same time, he became actively involved in Ecocitrus’ management, putting into practice his graduate studies in Leadership Development.

The Valencia orange trees planted on Rudi and Inês Cecília’s honeymoon are now managed by their children — completing a cycle that, beyond being profitable and in the hands of the farmers themselves, is filled with deep emotional value. Rudi laughs as he shares that he handed over all of his land to his children, formalizing the trust of working as a family. “I’ve become their employee,” he jokes.