Tag: Burundi coffee washing station

  • HARVEST UPDATE

    HARVEST UPDATE

    From the Farm, Field and Lab

    Burundian landcscape in black and white

    From the Farm

    collected and translated by Joy Mavugo in conjunction with Robyn-Leigh van Laren from the Story Team.

    It’s been a hard week for Burundi. On Monday 8 June 2020, we heard the news that Burundi’s late president H.E Pierre NKURUNZIZA had very suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. Flags were lowered to half-mast and the country went into a week-long mourning period to remember the person who lead and governed Burundi for close to 15 years.

    “When I first heard the news, I couldn’t accept what others were telling me. Two days before, the police stopped people on the road saying that the president was passing by. The second person who told me was my friend who said that the president had died from disease. I asked him: “Who told you that news? Is that disease CORONA?” He told me that he didn’t know. After realizing that it’s true, that the president died, the first question I asked is: “Who will give the presidential chair to his successor at the big ceremony in August?” Death is not afraid. Even if people call themselves great, only God will live forever.” – Céléstin from Mikuba hill.

    “It was really scary news, because it happened just after the elections. Burundians, especially from the hill where I live, have bad memories of elections. When I heard the news, I didn’t even ask the cause of his death. Immediately, my heart told me that things will happen again like they did in 1993. I went home and started listening to the radio to hear what the situation is in the country. The good thing is that after his death, no other Burundians have lost their lives. Only…it’s still too early to believe. The lesson I’ve learnt from the president’s death is that there is no great person in the world. God is powerful, and he does what he wants on earth and heaven.” – Bénoit from Mikuba hill.

    “When I heard the news, I was very surprised. At first, I didn’t believe what people were saying. I am now wondering: what will happen next? What makes me happy is that things are quiet in the country and there is peace. Nothing is impossible. Three days in the country without a president, and life is normal. The world has surprises in store for us.” – Noël from Mikuba hill

    Building LMCP's Ninga Washing Station
    Constructing drying tables at the new Ninga Washing Station

    From the Field

    written by Seth Nduwayo, Quality Control Manager

    Weather
    It would sound as if I have an endless repetition of climate stories. One can wonder, “isn’t there anything else more interesting you can be talking about?” However, this is to emphasize how severe and strange the climate is. So, when our partners hear that we have an Environmental Bottom Line among our four bottom lines, they find that it was not a mere choice of words. Rather, it is a real and serious challenge we have to face. While previously I shared with you the lack of rain that caused some berries to dry on the trees, before yesterday we got unexpectedly some rain in Bukeye and a lot of it at Heza, Kayanza. This is not bad as it will help some berries to ripen. However, for trees that didn’t have berries these will start blossoming. And as after this little rain sunny days are going to follow, then the blossoms may dry because they will have sprouted in a wrong period.

    Ninga Washing Station
    I also spoke about how Ninga farmers are so happy that finally Ninga project is in course of implementation and they can deliver close, without the long walks. As Long Miles Team, we share the happiness with those farmers because Ninga has started to bear fruits. In fact, the first lots that were collected in Ninga and surrounding hills have been taken off the table, this week. Though I referred to our infrastructures at Ninga as basic, I believe that the quality of coffee that was processed there is at the same level or even higher than what is produced at our old stations. My fear is that the supply might be too much lower than the demand. However, we expect the next harvest to be good enough to satisfy all Ninga lovers in both quality and quantity.

    A No-Visitor Harvest
    COVID-19, has changed the way humanity lives and works; the coffee industry was not spared. We used to host guests who came to visit our factories (Washing Stations). They came for various purposes but we enjoyed hosting them. Some were customers, others were interns, students who want to be at an origin, Cup of Excellence judges, etc. Personally, I really liked that they were coming. In fact, even when they may not buy our delicious coffees, at least they would tell a story about us or recommend their friends to partner with us. In this way, our reputation kept expanding, with many eyewitnesses. This year no more new visitors so far, except those following on Instagram or receiving our newsletters. I wish COVID ended so that we come back to normal.

    Cupping Burundi Coffee in Long Miles Coffee's basement cupping lab
    Image taken by Julianna Elizabeth Herr

    From the Lab

    written by David Stallings, Roaster Relations

    Since the last Harvest Update email, I have received two boxes of table samples. Two more are currently en route; one has just made it to New York City the other is in Nairobi. The coffees I have tasted the past two weeks represent the first coffees delivered to our washing stations this season and, as such, are from quite small lots – some projected to be well less than one bag in size once milled.

    Every single table sample produced will be coming through our East Coast lab [i.e. my basement] this year. This includes everything from our highest quality parchment, which is destined to become micro-lots, to our “Cherry-B” lots. (Cherry-B being the underripe and overripe cherries delivered by farmers. We are legally obliged to purchase these coffees from farmers but process them separately as to not lower the quality of our micro-lot coffees.)

    The majority of my time over the next two months will be spent analyzing green coffee samples, roasting and cupping said samples, and constructing lots based on volumes, quality, flavor profile, hills, and demand. This is some of the most enjoyable and rewarding work I have the pleasure of doing. I could not be more thrilled to report that the table samples I have cupped thus far this season are of absolute stellar quality.

    Beyond cup quality, the physical characteristics of the lots I have analyzed thus far have been quite reassuring. Every lot I have measured the water activity of has fallen between our desired 0.45-0.55 aw, with the majority of them being in the lower half of this range. Based on the quality of our landed lots from last year, this is exactly where we want our coffees sitting for optimal longevity and freshness.

    Links worth checking out

    • Our friends at La Cabra recently shared a video shot by Paw Gissel during their 2018 visit to Burundi. Check it out here.
    • An interesting NPR piece on COVID-19 and Africa can be found here.
    • A New York Times article on the death of President Nkurunziza can be found here.
    • An Al Jazeera article on what happens in Burundi following the president’s passing can be found here.

  • HOW IS COVID-19 AFFECTING BURUNDI COFFEE?

    HOW IS COVID-19 AFFECTING BURUNDI COFFEE?

    Burundian coffee farmer walking on a dirt path

    We can’t help but think of COVID-19. It’s a very real part of everyday life that has affected everything, from how we operate as a team to how we’re producing coffee. As we opened our coffee harvest season and began to operate our washing stations, we had to think about how to go about producing coffee in a new way. How could we continue to produce coffee without putting people’s lives at risk? In Burundi, social distancing isn’t enforced and up until now, hasn’t officially been encouraged.

    Thinking through how we can keep everyone safe is a big part of how we’re producing coffee this year. The main concern is for coffee farmers. The majority of the farming community are extremely vulnerable and an older population. We’ve had to build protocols for our washing stations and farmers that seem as foreign to our team as they did to us when we first heard them. Do you remember the first time you heard that we needed to socially distance ourselves and stand 6 feet apart? It’s an incredible challenge to tell people to stand apart at the washing stations when hundreds of farmers are delivering their coffee cherries at the same time. Coffee production is about space in so many ways. Usually everyone- from neighboring farmers bringing in coffee cherries to our team at the washing station- stands right on top of each other, selecting and sorting through coffee together. Lifting heavy bags of coffee cherries from one corner of the washing station to another. Producing coffee is a high touch, close proximity job. How do we change that? Culturally, it’s really difficult.

    “We’ve had to build protocols for our washing stations and farmers that seem as foreign to our team as they did to us when we first heard them. Do you remember the first time you heard that we needed to socially distance ourselves and stand 6 feet apart?”

    With 94 reported cases and 1 recorded death (as of 12 June 2020), COVID-19 is affecting Burundi. But…life has in some ways carried on as per usual, which has left many people feeling confused. There has been no lockdown or shutdown, no limitation on movement or travel within the country. Businesses and individuals alike are trying to follow what the country’s Ministry of Health and government is saying about COVID-19, but the reality is that there is extremely limited testing available and limited ability for the health care sector to handle a respiratory disease like this one.

    In other ways, life has been turned on its head. All of the land borders have closed. The airport is shut until further notice- there are no commercial flights coming in or going out. Trading between our neighbors, both close and far, has been affected. No one is telling us, coffee producers, what to do or how to keep our team safe. That’s up to us. We’re having to think through: how do we operate to maintain safety for everyone involved while also respecting what the government is saying? We have to keep healthy as we keep producing coffee. We can’t stop the fact that the cherries are ripening and that harvest is happening. If roasters decide not to buy or roast coffee, we won’t stop producing it.

    Burundian coffee cherries ripening on the tree

    “No one is telling us, coffee producers, what to do or how to keep people safe. That’s up to us.”

    In Burundi, coffee farming is ‘essential work’. Coffee makes up 70% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings. As farmers, it doesn’t matter that there’s a pandemic- you still have to harvest. This is also an election year in Burundi. As a country, we had to be able to stand on our own two feet and pay for the election, which is very costly. There are no fall backs. There is no health care or wealth care solution. Coffee is how most people live, and they can’t go a year without producing it. Burundi is also coming off the backend of the worst coffee harvests in decades. Last year (2019), the country as a whole produced just 20% of its usual coffee crop. We have to produce coffee as a country, as coffee producers, as families and individuals- we can’t afford not to. It will be a challenging year, but our vision to produce quality coffee and care for the farmers who grow it doesn’t change.

    “There are no fall backs. There is no health care or wealth care solution. Coffee is how most people live, and they can’t go a year without producing it.”

    Normal has gone out the window. Whatever the new normal is, we’ll just have to figure it out as it unfolds. We’ll still be producing coffee. We produced last year, we’ll produce this year, and we’ll be producing next year. We’ll still be planting indigenous trees, endeavoring alongside our neighbors and coffee farming families to renew the health of the soil on their land. Our roasting partners won’t be visiting our part of the world anytime soon. We’re thinking now more than ever: how can we partner with and support our specialty coffee community?

    Whether it’s Africa, USA, Europe, Australia, Asia, wherever- we’re all experiencing this. We’re looking forward to figuring things out together, once this does pass. To our friends the world over, we’re with you.

    Thank you to our friends at Onyx Coffee for starting this conversation.

  • HARVEST UPDATE

    HARVEST UPDATE

    From the farm, field and lab.

    NY Times article on the 2020 presidential elections in Burundi, East Africa

    FROM THE FARM

    words by Firmin, collected and translated by Joy Mavugo in conjunction with Robyn-Leigh van Laren from the Story Team.

    On 20 May 2020, Burundi took to the polls to vote in the presidential election. This was a pivotal moment for the country as the last election like it, which took place in 2005, was wrought with controversy and violence. Firmin, a 52-year old coffee farmer from Mikuba hill, which is close to our Heza washing station, shares their thoughts on the elections.

    “Everything went well on the day of the elections. I went to vote at a polling station set up at a primary school on Nkonge (a neighboring hill) around 11:00 am. I didn’t want to go any earlier because I was waiting to hear about the security of the situation. Up until now, I can say that the elections went well. People are at peace and still going about their everyday activities as usual. Whenever elections have happened in Burundi, I have felt insecure because it reminds me of the bad times we went through as a country after the 1993 elections.

    Those who survived the violence in my family hid and lived in the bush for a month. There was one day when my father got drunk, made his way to our house and accidentally fell asleep there. He was killed that day, and all of his crops were thrown into a sewage pit. 

    It doesn’t really matter who wins the elections – whether the title of president is won fairly or not. What’s important is that there will be no more death on this hill. As someone who has already been through a terrible history of death caused by the elections, it is too early to tell if there will be peace. Violence only erupted three months after the 1993 elections. This time, I like to believe that there will be peace for longer.”

    Burundian coffee hills

    FROM THE FIELD

    written by Seth Nduwayo, Quality Control Manager.

    “In the first update I raised the issue of irregular rain. What I want to narrate today is its consequence. In fact, after the long days of extravagant rain, next followed long days of baking sun. This, then, causes the berries to dry on trees instead of ripening. However, what is a problem on the one hand becomes an advantage on the other hand. In fact, two weeks ago, we were complaining that we do not have enough drying tables because parchment delays on drying tables, because of rain but today at one of our washing stations, the half of lots that were drying have been taken off table (because of enough sun light).

    I will also talk of Ninga Washing Station. Ninga is located 10 kilometers from Bukeye Washing Station. When Bukeye started, there were farmers who were members of a cooperative at Ninga who came to know Long Miles had opened a station at Bukeye. These cooperative members were interested in how Long Miles take care of the farmers they partner with (farmer education through coffee scouts programs, transparency, bonus, social projects…). So they decided to deliver their cherry to Bukeye, though it was far. When they were lucky, they rented a truck but it happened that cherry collection was banned. Then they started walking to Bukeye. However, it was not easy to reach Bukeye, not only because of the distance, but also because of threats from workers of another washing station they went past before reaching our station. Those workers were supported by some corrupt local leaders. As Ninga is a region with a lot of good coffee, Long Miles got a plan to build a Washing Station there. Then land was bought in 2017. We always thought Ninga could start in 2018 and Ninga farmers hoped to cut with the threats and long walking. But for many reasons, some financial, others related to coffee sector regulations and speculations, it is in this year that we will be able to set basic infrastructures that can allow us to receive farmers and dry some coffee on the land. So, farmers are very happy that the washing station they had been waiting for has just started slowly. For them, this is a victory as many challenges made them feel pessimistic while today, a candle of hope is shining in a room of darkness.”

    FROM THE LAB

    written by David Stallings, Roaster Relations

    “The first round of samples from the 2020 harvest season are officially en route to our lab in the States. Currently “On Hold” in Bahrain, according to DHL’s tracking, to be exact. These samples represent the very first coffees to come off of our drying tables this season. Over the next eight to twelve weeks I will be tracking hundreds of samples as they pour into our lab, eager to do a complete physical analysis on them, roast them, cup them, and in turn, send them back out to roasters and importing partners the world over.

    Admittedly, when I say “our lab” in the States, I am referring to a corner of my basement. Do not be mistaken, it is a well-outfitted corner. In it sits an Ikawa, a two-barrel Probat sample roaster, an EK43. Immediately upon moving into this house, three years ago, I installed what I deemed the necessary water treatment equipment to make sure I could cup and brew coffee I would be happy with. It is, without question, the basement of a coffee professional. But, a basement none-the-less.

    But that is 2020. I do not know one person who is not “making do” right now, who is not parent, teacher, employee, employer, (and so much more) all wrapped into one. While we often wear these many hats, we are not accustomed to doing so simultaneously. The dramatic shift away from what I, and so many others, know to be normal has provided some excellent and much-needed perspective.

    Just a few short weeks ago, for example, we believed that we were facing a harvest that would be comparable to the volumes we saw in 2017. As the days pass, one after another, without rain, we are realizing that some cherry on the tree is likely to not ripen. Though significantly better than last season, volumes will likely not be what we expected and certainly not what we had hoped for. Six months ago this would have been extremely jarring to me. But the world has taught me some measure of patience through the pandemic, some measure of understanding just how little control I have. As the old adage goes, it is not what happens but how we respond, and I am certain this year holds many wonderful responses from the team I am so lucky to work with.”

    Links worth checking out

  • In coffee production, the only constant is change

    In coffee production, the only constant is change

    Burundi coffee, Long Miles Coffee, specialty coffee, East Africa

    Every year we hold our breath and hope as the Burundian government reviews applications to produce coffee. Producing coffee in Burundi is never a guarantee, which means that annually we need new permission granted only by the government in order to operate. There are always new hurdles to jump though in order to get a license and this year was no different. 

    As this season started, the government coffee board demanded that every coffee producer have the money needed to pay their farmers already in the bank; to be held in trust, before a single coffee cherry was delivered to the washing station. Last year’s coffee harvest was 25% of the normal export nationwide, which makes having these funds in advance unreasonable for most producers, including ourselves. On top of this law came the statement that if coffee producers were unable to comply, they would lose their washing station(s) along with any permission to produce coffee ever again in their lifetime. 

    We are no stranger to this kind of last-minute law building as coffee season starts, but scrambling to comply with these laws has made for a hard month. Add COVID-19 and its worldwide effects on top of this and we, possibly like you, have been surrounded by a thunderstorm of worries. Thankfully, we were able to find a way to comply with the government’s new laws and we began collecting coffee cherries last week. Friday’s daily report showed that 2,181.5 kilograms were delivered to our Bukeye washing station, so harvest is off to a nice slow start. Our other washing station, Heza, is at a higher elevation and is usually a few weeks behind Bukeye.

    Burundi coffee, specialty coffee, Long Miles Coffee, Burundi, East Africa
    Image taken during coffee harvest in 2011, before Long Miles really began.

    Recently while we were looking over our coffee-producing years, we realized that March Madness doesn’t just take place in basketball. March has, for the last six years, always held big challenges for us. Whether it’s a nation-wide fuel shortage, a coup d’état, a strangely low harvest or COVID-19, the start of harvest has always been marked by a challenge that feels larger than life. 

    As we all navigate this pandemic and its devastating challenges together, we’ve found hope in the coming harvest. Just like Spring coming or the sun setting, nature seems to hold a solidity that we all need right now. Harvest can’t be held back or rescheduled, the coffee cherries will ripen when they ripen. Production license or not, COVID-19 or not – harvest just comes. In a world that feels out of control, nature is a veiled reminder that stability will come again and that maybe, just maybe, normal life will too.

  • BURUNDIANS AND COFFEE

    BURUNDIANS AND COFFEE

    Burundi Coffee, Burundi, Long Miles Coffee Project, East Africa

    Like in any culture, there are no absolutes that apply to everyone. There are many Burundians who do drink coffee, but generally they are not the farmers who grow it. Whenever we ask coffee farmers if they’ve tasted their own coffee, the response is the same almost every time:

    “NO, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO.”

    Coffee trees grow almost everywhere in Burundi’s higher elevation ranges, but coffee beans are hard to find outside of niche markets in the capitol city. The coffee cherries are too valuable for most farmers to keep and dry for home consumption, so the coffee crop goes to a washing station where it can make cash on the kilogram. It’s a common daily ritual for farmers to drink a glass of fresh milk or a thermos of hot tea, but almost never coffee. This might be because when Burundi was a Belgian colony, Burundians were forced to grow at least 50 coffee trees but never had the opportunity to drink it. 

    Coffee arrived in Burundi with the Belgians in the 192o’s. Growing coffee wasn’t a choice for Burundians from 1933 until Belgian rule fell away in 1962. When it did, many farmers ripped out their coffee trees, choosing instead to plant subsistence crops like bananas or cassava. Those who kept their coffee trees did so with little enthusiasm for coffee itself, having seen very little compensation for their efforts under Belgian rule. War, political uprising, a monarchy, democracy, and global warming have followed in the decades since. It has only been since the early 2000’s that producing specialty coffee has become a focus in Burundi. With such a turbulent past, it’s no wonder that farmers have had little opportunity to taste their own coffee. We wanted to change that for a farming couple named Philippe and Sabine.

    Philippe and Sabine live on a piece of land tucked underneath Gitwe hill, a stone’s throw away from Heza. They grow just shy of 500 coffee trees in between a sea of tea plants and banana trees on a piece of land inherited from Philippe’s father- a coffee farmer before them. 

    Have you ever tasted your coffee?

    “Never.” 

    What do you think it tastes like?

    “It must be nice, otherwise you wouldn’t ask us to keep growing it.”

    How do you feel about learning how to make coffee today?

    “Excited. When we have cherries again, we’ll be able to make it ourselves at home.”

    Previous Image
    Next Image

    info heading

    info content

     

    Burundi coffee, Burundi, Long Miles Coffee Project, East Africa

    Burundi Coffee, Burundi, Long Miles Coffee Project, East Africa

    How does it taste?

    “It needs sugar.”

    (after adding milk and sugar)

    It’s so good! It’s delicious.

    It was hard work brewing coffee with Philippe and Sabine in the hills where it’s grown. There are coffee farmers the world over who spend their days caring for this precious crop they might never get the chance to taste. It makes one realise that it’s a privilege to be able to buy, brew and drink coffee so easily in other parts of the world every day.

  • A HARVEST ROUNDUP

    A HARVEST ROUNDUP

    Heading into the 2019 harvest, the mantra amongst our team was a seemingly simple one: get our first container of coffee out of the country by the end of August. By doing this we would be setting a veritable export record in Burundi; we would also make a Long Miles best. While we did not hit our goal, we did load our first container of coffee, destined for the West Coast of the United States, on September 9th. This was the earliest we have ever loaded a container and we were thrilled.

    As the ever humbling gods of global logistics would have it, our container was not destined to move with the alacrity with which we would have hoped – or, even, could reasonably expect. In fact, our first USA-bound container landed in the States just two weeks before the second, which was loaded in Burundi on November 7th – nearly two full months after the first box was loaded. An unexpected transshipment in a congested Mombasa port caused delays in berthing the vessel. This, combined with the small print which renders our pleas for action completely inaudible to the shipping line, pushed the transit times to extremes – even for a landlocked East African nation.

    Burundi coffee, Specialty coffee, Long Miles Coffee Project, Burundi

    Fortunately, there was another mantra for some key members of the team during this past harvest: dry the coffees perfectly. As many reading will know quite well, the proper drying of coffee is critical in determining a coffees’ longevity. Our team in Burundi, lead by the intrepid Seth Nduwayo, was fierce in their dedication of sticking to strict parameters surrounding water activity. Water activity for each lot had to be below 0.55 aw before the coffee could be moved to the mill. For a number of lots, this meant going through the extra step of putting coffee that was in our washing station warehouse back on the drying tables in order to reach the target water activity level. Though tedious at the time of processing, this level of rigor paid off. An extended journey at sea can be a death march for coffee. This is all the more true for coffees whose moisture and water activity levels are above a certain point. Every single lot from the 2019 harvest produced at Heza and Bukeye arrived in North America in excellent physical condition and tasting wonderful.

    Burundi coffee, Specialty coffee, Long Miles Coffee Project, Burundi
    Pamphile Mpawenayo, manager of Heza and Seth Nduwayo, quality and production manager.

    “DESPITE THE DELAY, THE GAHARO IS SHINING AGAIN THIS YEAR, DARE I SAY EVEN BETTER THAN LAST YEAR! I’M ONCE AGAIN IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY THAT LONG MILES IS DELIVERING, WHILE DOING SOME REALLY IMPORTANT GRASSROOTS WORK ON THE GROUND IN BURUNDI.”

    – PHIL ROBERTSON OF PHIL & SEBASTIAN COFFEE ROASTERS

    Though not on the timeline we had hoped for, there is still much cause for celebration when it comes to the timing of this year’s arrivals. Many thanks to our US importing partner, Osito, we were able to land the entirety of our North American-bound coffee earlier than any prior harvest.

    “THIS YEAR’S LOT OF LONG MILES COFFEE ARRIVED ON SCHEDULE AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE GREEN COFFEE IS DENSE WITH EXCELLENT PREPARATION, PERFECT FOR EASY ROASTING. WE ARE PLEASED WITH THE LUSH FLORAL QUALITY OF OUR MICRO LOT. CLEAR, CLEAN FLAVORS OF BROWN SUGAR, ORANGE, AND TEA. WE FIND THE COFFEES HAVE A VIBRANT CITRIC AND TARTARIC ACIDITY WITH A DENSE SILKY BODY.”

    – OLIVER STORMSHACK OF OLYMPIA COFFEE

    Burundi coffee, specialty coffee, Long Miles Coffee Project, Burundi

    It is important to acknowledge that our European-bound coffees did not move with the same speed that we were able to achieve in the States this year. While the coffee is scheduled to arrive at roughly the same time it has in previous years (the Germany-bound container has a current ETA of March 1st), we very much look forward to improving upon the timing of our coffees into Europe for the next harvest and beyond. The aforementioned mantras of the 2019 harvest will remain the same for our 2020 harvest. We are better suited to do this than ever before, thanks to our importing partners in the States and a newly formed relationship in Europe.

    As long-time roasting partners and new relationships alike introduce their 2019 harvest Long Miles lots to their menus, we will make an effort to shine a spotlight on where you can find our coffees. Feel free to reach out to info@longmilescoffee.com if you are interested in finding a roaster in your area who has Long Miles coffee. Keep your eyes on our social media and this blog, where we will be posting further updates about where our coffee can be found. 

  • Too Much Rain

    Too Much Rain

    Burundi coffee, Specialty coffee, Long Miles Coffee Project, Burundi

    “RUGURU (upcountry ) IS BAD. TOO MUCH RAIN.”

    It comes in a message from Anicet, one of our coffee scouts at the end of last year.

    The heavy rains have caused soil to spill down the steep slope our Heza washing station is built on, stopping just short of the cherry reception tanks. Part of the road leading to Heza has crumbled away, making it impossible for anything or anyone to pass. We have to make our way on back roads to reach Heza now, adding an extra hour onto our already two-and-a-half-hour journey.

    The rain started coming down in October and the ground hasn’t been dry since. It’s not unusual to have rain this time of year, but it is unusual to have so much. The reality is, Burundi doesn’t have the kind of infrastructure to handle all this rain. There are no real gutters here. No retaining walls or storm drains. Entire roads wash away, becoming one big deadly beast that makes its way through neighborhoods. This devastation spills over into farmers’ fields, uprooting crops. It breaks down homes, church buildings, erodes roads and sometimes claims lives.

    “YOU CAN’T GO 500M WITHOUT SEEING THE DAMAGE FROM THE RAIN. IT’S TOUCHING EVERYTHING, NOT JUST THE COFFEE.” – Merchicedeck, coffee farmer on Gikungere hill

    We’ve heard heartbreaking stories of friends waking up in the middle of the night, their belongings floating all around them. Families have spent days sweeping and scooping rainwater out of their homes by the bucketful. Raging knee-deep rivers have cut off entire neighbourhoods from one another.

    Burundi Coffee, Specialty Coffee, Long Miles Coffee Project, Burundi

    Last week we took to the coffee hills to see how our farming community was feeling about all the rain. On the way up, the one national road was blocked by piles of mud that had spilled down from the surrounding mountains, making it impossible for cars to pass. Trucks that usually haul goods and fuel across Bujumbura (Burundi’s economic capital) were stopped dead in their tracks. Lines of cars snaked both up and down the road, waiting for the mud to be cleared by hand. We counted two broken pipelines spilling precious water across the road with no one to fix them in sight.

    “THE BEGINNING OF COFFEE HARVEST IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPY TIME FOR US, BUT THE RAIN IS BECOMING OUR ENEMY.” – Pascal, coffee farmer from Munyinya hill

    Burundi coffee, Specialty coffee, Long Miles Coffee Project, Burundi

    This is not just a challenge for Burundi. It’s a hard truth to swallow for South Sudan, Central African Republic, Uganda, DR Congo, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania.

    “MY FAMILY’S LIFE STANDS ON COFFEE. WE WERE EXPECTING A LOT OF IT THIS YEAR, BUT DAY BY DAY I WATCH IT DISAPPEAR. THE RIPENING COFFEE CHERRIES AND LEAVES KEEP FALLING OFF THE TREES BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY RAIN.” – Abel, coffee farmer from Munyinya hill

    Almost as quickly as the heavy rains came down, they slipped away again. We celebrate the dry days, our ears still prickling at the sound of rumbling thunder and dreading the pitter-patter of fresh rain.

  • Behind The Scenes On Coffee Farmer Pay Day

    Behind The Scenes On Coffee Farmer Pay Day

    This post is sponsored by Disney Story. To find out more about this brand-new story-creation app – and how it puts the power of storytelling in your hands – click here.

    It was an amazing day at the LMCP washing station last week because we were able to pay all our Burundi coffee farmers months before they anticipated it. The whole LMCP team was at the washing station and not only did we manage to pay all the farmers, but we captured 22 of their stories.

    Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectI was photographing farmer stories most of the day, but I managed to sneak out to capture a few of the happenings at the station.Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectWait until you see and read this farmer’s story. Wow! He was an absolute dream come true to photograph. Connecting with him was an experience I will never forget. Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectBurundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectNeo “helping out” with farmer payments. Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectHe gave up helping dad, had a “no-nap meltdown” and landed up in the ol’ Granny Landy with the ipad. Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectMyles learned how to shoot a bow and arrow from our resident washing station guard, Jean. Of course, Jean sent the bow and arrow home with us and we’ve had to oversee daily practice sessions ever since. Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectI never can resist photographing the bikes! Millions of bike pictures. Mill-IONS. Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectLookie, it’s the LMCP washing station! 5 months ago this was a hill full of eucalyptus trees being grown for firewood and charcoal. Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee projectPay day happiness.Burundi coffee, Burundi coffee farmers, coffee farms, Burundi coffee washing station, coffee washing station, long miles coffee project

    While I was photographing farmer stories in the cherry collection room, this guy showed up at my window. Made my day!

  • Early Payday For Burundi Coffee Farmers

    Early Payday For Burundi Coffee Farmers

    We ventured out into rural Burundi as a family last weekend to make early payments to the coffee farmers who are delivering coffee cherries to the new washing station. For weeks, the farmers have been delivering their coffee cherries to collection points we’ve set up near their communities. It’s one of the reasons you’ve heard so little from us, we’ve been busy building the station and organising community coffee delivery to the station. Coffee is one of the few ways these communities make money, and most farmers have to wait until October or as late as December to see any money from their hard work.

    Last year, the average coffee farmer in Burundi earned $133 for the entire year. We are trying to change that number for the better in a number of empowering ways. Giving farmers an early payment for the coffee cherries that they have delivered to the Long Miles washing station not only builds trust with the community but it also allows farmers the opportunity to have some funds to get them through the lean months until full payment arrives towards the end of the year.

    Each farmer has a card detailing how much coffee they have delivered to the station so far. Goat brochettes anyone? 

    ^ Hello! This guy had me at first glance. The minute I saw him I knew I had to find a way to photograph him. There is always a crowd. 
    We were busy checking out a pig (in the wooden cage to the right) while farmer payday got underway. Getting organized.All tuckered out. Thanks for the photo, Coffee Guy, because one of my goals is to get IN FRONT of the camera more so that my boys remember I was there!
    You can buy Burundi coffee that supports the washing station build and the coffee farmers delivering coffee to the station from Dogwood Coffee. They are donating $4 a bag towards the Long Miles Coffee washing station. Thanks Dogwood!
scroll to top
error: