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Home / Farmer and Regional Profiles

Farmer and Regional Profiles

Crop to Cup Connections Portal – More Coming Soon
Our technology partners are hard at work, and when they’re finished you’re going to find an awesome interactive tool here to network with farmers and coffee drinkers around the world, explore product origins and projects and much, much more.

Still, you deserve to know who grew your coffee, no? 
We sure think you do, so below we’ve profiled a few of our friends whose families and efforts produced the coffee sold on this website or wherever you see our logo. 

Here you can meet the farmers who grow: Uganda Bugisu AA & Citizen’s Espresso Blend



Uganda Bugisu AA

Purchase these farmers’ coffee here

Three hundred family farmers within a radius of several miles around the Gibuzale washing station contribute their coffee beans to this coffee.  They handpick the coffee cherries once they are red, ripe, and ready. The farmer then brings these cherries to our washing station, where we purchase the coffee at the prevailing market price. Don’t worry, we keep track of who sells us what so that we can pay a premium later on after you, the coffee drinker, has shown us how much this coffee is worth to you. The more we receive, the more they receive – simple as that.

From our washing stations we pulp the cherries, then soak the resulting beans in water for around two days to give you a clean tasting cup. These beans are then dried, brought down to the Bugisu Cooperative Union in Mbale, Uganda, processed and sorted, and then shipped out through Mombasa, Kenya.

Our quality controllers monitor every step of this process…and you can too.

The Gibuzaale Washing Station is located in Buginyanya Sub-County, Sironko District, Uganda. Buginyanya is one of the highest altitude coffee growing locations in Uganda’s renowned Bugisu region of Eastern Uganda (just along the Kenya border on Mt. Elgon).

Click here to fly to Buginyana with Google Earth.

Don’t have Google Earth? Download it here.


View Larger Map

 

Quality starts with the farmer. Meet some of your farmers.

 

Bernard Wolimbwa
Bernard Wolimbwa
17 person family

• Bunanimi Village, Nambongo/Buginyanya, Sironko District, Bugisu Region, Uganda
• 6,200 ft. elevation

(photo: Bernard W. with his son, Geoffrey)

Bernard has been farming coffee for 17 tears and is currently setting up the first plantation in Eastern Uganda (there currently exists one in Rwenzori, in Western Uganda). Owns 22 hectares, and manages roughly 30,000 coffee trees. Calls his farm ‘Nacofa’ (Nambongo Company Farm), and expects first quality yield from the estate in 2009/2010.


(Bernard's video - larger version here)

Sam Kauka
Sam Kauka
55 years old

• Buginanya Subcounty, Sironko District, Bugisu Region, Uganda
• 6,250 ft. elevation
• 01– 16.28 N x 34 – 22.95 E - Download Sam’s Google Earth location

(photo: Sam and his children on the farm)

Sam has been in the coffee farming business for about 22 years now and manages an estimated 250 coffee trees. He says he grows coffee because its is the only cash crop – while other crops such as banana or beans can provide some income and subsistence, this cash crop allows him to truly use his land as his business.


(Sam's video - larger version here)

Topista and Joseph Naimisi
Topista and Joseph Naimisi
6 children

• Gabagi Village, Buginyanya Subcounty, Bugisu, Uganda
• FARM : 2,000 trees (est.)
• Bugisu Washed Arabica
• 6,240 ft. elevation

TOPISTA works on the farm and is also a local elementary school teacher. She applies the principles of the classroom to her garden. “Quality coffee begins straight away from the garden. Your garden must be smart.” Their earnings from coffee are used for school fees, growing their small shop, and buying more land for bigger and better coffee yields.

JOSEPH’S message to coffee drinkers: “They are welcome to come and buy our coffee; they are welcome to come and talk to me and other farmers!”


(Joseph's video - larger version here)

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Peter GimuIi
Peter GimuIi
40 years old • married, 6 children

Vice Chairman, Bufumbo/Masira Coffee Farmers Association
• Bufumbo Parish, Masira Subcounty, Bugisu, Uganda
• FARM : 5,000 trees (est.)
• Bugisu Washed Arabica
• 6,430 ft. elevation

Peter and his wife Jennifer raise 1 cow, 2 goats, chickens, and 3 rabbits in addition to their various crops, including coffee. As a family man, Peter’s coffee earnings are used to educate his six children. Peter also recently set up a small nursery to expand his farm and assist his neighbors with new coffee tree seedlings.

Godfrey Bwayo
Godfrey Bwayo
34 years old • Married, 6 children

• Manafa District, Bugisu, Uganda
• FARM : 1,200 trees (est.)
• Bugisu Washed Arabica
• 4,650 ft. elevation

GODFREY’S grandfather started growing coffee, and passed this knowledge down to Godfrey’s father and to Godfrey himself, who started growing coffee at the age of 20. Each generation has built its homes and schooled their children with coffee.

An early morning coffee drinker, he describes his coffee’s taste as “tastes so good…. You can take it without any sugar and feel very comfortable”.

Meresi Wagambala
Meresi Wagambala
6 children, 10 grandchildren

• Buginyanya Subcounty, Bugisu, Uganda
• Bugisu Washed Arabica
• FARM : 5,000 trees (est.)
• 6,240 ft. elevation

MERESI began coffee farming with her husband 30 years ago. Now a widow, she manages the farm on her own and with a bit of help from her children and grandchildren. An expert in plant care, she runs a community demonstration plot to educate her fellow farmers on how to improve their coffee, improve their earnings, and improve their lives. Eucalyptus, banana trees and nearly a dozen other plants also grow on her farm. This protects the strength and nutrients of her soil and the habitat of local and migratory birds.

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Boniface Wetebe
Boniface Wetebe
55 years old

• Buginyanya Subcounty, Bugisu, Uganda
• FARM : 4,000 trees (est.)
• Bugisu Washed Arabica
• 6,200 ft. elevation

BONIFACE is, at age 55, considered a muzeh (old-timer). He reflects, “coffee was brought here in 1924…My father and grandfathers kept [trees] and up to now I continue to keep coffee. And I also continue to help you in the knowledge of coffee.”

On coffee, Boniface adds, “To produce good quality of coffee you must organize with your family and plant good seedlings, keep a good garden with manure. You pick only red cherry, wash and dry well.”

“To keep organic you must first have a cow. This is my cow”

Stephen Wobibi

• Lead Scientist and Manager, Buginyanya Field Branch of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO)

(Stephen's video - larger version here)

As head of the Buginyanya Field Branch of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Stephen Wobibi has many responsibilities. He must conquer leaf rust and wilting disease, defeat pests, and convince farmers to 'stump' their trees. Of all his tasks, the last is the most challenging. For leaf rust and wilting disease, Stephen prescribes proper pruning, tree spacing, and keeping a clean garden. For pests, Stephen applies ash to keep away the ants - without ants to eat up the trees’ sugary byproduct, common pests cannot live. For stumping, Stephen has not yet found a good way to explain to farmers that cutting off overgrown stalks of coffee trees (which then cuts off a tree’s income for a short time), is good for the long-term.

NARO takes its knowledge to the farmers; Stephen selects and introduces new varieties of trees, and educates local farmers on how best to care for their crop.

Erisa Wandwasi
Erisa Wandwasi

Chairman, Sobi Growers Cooperative Society
• Kato Subcounty, Manafwa District, Uganda
• FARM: 5,000 trees (est.)
• Bugisu Washed Arabica
• 4,600 ft. elevation

Erisa is a leader in his farming community through his participation in local organizations and also his services.  In addition to his role with the local Sobi Growers Cooperative Society, he is Director of the Bugisu Cooperative Union’s Bubulo Zone.  His work with these two organizations and his large coffee tree nursery provide valuable assistance to his neighbors and those throughout the region.  As you can see in his video, Erisa is proud of everything he grows and raises – not just coffee.

(Erisa's video - larger version here)


Citizen’s Espresso Blend

This blend is created with beans grown by farmers living near to the Gibuzaale Washing Station in Buginyanya, Bugisu region, Uganda (see “Uganda Bugisu AA” above to learn about these farmers).  To the Ugandan beans we have added beans from the Gayo Organic Farmers Asssociation / PPKGO Co-operative in the Gayo highlands of northern Sumatra.  The Co-op is Fairtrade and Organic certified.  

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Last updated: Apr 9,2008 04:42