Uganda: Bukusu Washing Station Grand Opening
With Uganda fly crop on the horizon, we are excited to announce our good friend and producer partner, Francis Kamuhanda has officially launched his new operation, Hillside Coffee Company, Ltd.
BACKGROUND:
For the last year, Francis has been carefully crafting every detail of each operation in preparation for this day. From plantation to washing station to dry mill, the Hillside Coffee model is streamlined so each operation functions independently yet integrates seamlessly, maximizing quality control, and elevating coffee to its full potential. After surveying usable land and visiting with farmers on the slopes of Mt. Elgon near Mbale city, Francis strategically purchased two plots of land to establish a centralized washing station and dry mill less than 7km down the road from the new plantation, where Francis has planted roughly 12,000 SL-14 trees across 4 hectares (10 acres) at 1340-1600 masl. By centralizing the washing station and dry mill, Francis can effectively process coffee from his own plantation, as well as all farmers in the Bubulo Commune, Manafwa District. Through our partnership with Hillside Coffee Company, our goal is to provide equitable access to market for each farmer in the communities surrounding Francis’ operation.
BUKUSU WASHING STATION GRAND OPENING:
On March 9, 2018, Francis opened the doors of Bukusu Washing Station for the first time, welcoming 99 farmers from the Bubulo Commune to tour the state-of-the-art facilities, meet the HCC Staff, and experience the mission, vision, and culture of the new washing station.
After a complete tour of the facilities, farmers were introduced to the 13 Coffee Coaches on staff. Each Coffee Coach is dedicated to a specific group of farmers in the community to build personal, long lasting relationships with each individual and grow to understand their operation from top to bottom. Coffee Coaches serve as a personal consultant for each farmer in the group, providing training and access to resources that elevate farm practices, from fertilization and fumigation to shading, pruning, and cherry selection at harvest. In addition to their work on the farm, Coffee Coaches intercede as a liaison between farmer and washing station to streamline the movement of coffee through each stage of the process.
Following their introduction, the coffee coaches laid out an array of cherries at different ripeness, talking through the importance of cherry selection, demonstrating how cherries will be floated at the station, and clearly explaining how farmers will be paid for cherry.
Towards the end of the day, farmers divided into eight groups for a Q&A session with the HCC staff and the 13 Coffee Coaches. In smaller groups, each farmer had the opportunity to express specific questions, comments, and concerns, provide feedback on their experience, and offer recommendations to the HCC staff.
The opening event at Bukusu Washing Station was a huge success, and marks the beginning of something special in the Bubulo Commune of Uganda. We see incredible potential in the people and coffee on the southern slopes of Mt. Elgon near Mbale city, and with everyone now on the same page, the sky is the limit for Hillside Coffee Company and the farmers in the surrounding community. Francis is very confident in his team and the local small holders in Bubulo. He has set high expectations for the fly crop kicking off this April, and we can’t wait to get our hands on samples as they become available in June/July.
We are proud to partner with Francis and his team for the long haul, and we are honored to provide direct access to coffee from Hillside Coffee Company on a forward basis through our export operation in Uganda.
- Jake and Keaton