From the farm, field and lab.
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.”
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
- We wrote a letter to our friends at Onyx Coffee Lab about Coffee Production in the age of COVID. You can read it here.
- New York Times article on Burundi voter turnout and some context on the election.
- New York Times article on the election results.