The Variety

The People's Farm

The People's Farm, operated by Direct Trade partner Furaha Umwizeye of Kivubelt Coffee, is a collaborative effort involving small-scale farmers near the remote village of Gihombo in the Nyamasheke district of Western Rwanda. Unlike in many coffee-producing countries where farmers use land size as a measure of scale, farms in Rwanda are often small enough that production capability is measured by the number of trees each farmer has. Nearly 100% of the coffee grown by farmers in Rwanda can trace its roots back to the original Bourbon variety, which first left Yemen in the 1700s and now has descendants throughout the coffee-growing world.

Kivubelt employs a unique approach and consolidates coffee grown by these small farmers, facilitating quality separation and providing essential resources that the farmers might not otherwise be able to access. Farmers in the Kivubelt network benefit from access to seedlings, compost and fertilizers, best practices for farm management, and a centralized wet mill for processing. Notably, select lots from the People’s Farm have been selected for Rwanda’s Cup of Excellence competition.

Centralized Processing

Farmers deliver their coffee cherries to Kivubelt’s Murundo washing station, initiating a meticulous quality assurance process. Upon arrival, the cherries undergo quality checks before entering a flotation tank where they are further sorted to remove the lower-quality, low-density cherries, which are referred to as “floaters” because, upon being submerged in water, they float to the top of the tank.

The quality coffee cherries are then processed through a precisely calibrated de-pulping machine, which removes the skin of the cherries. As the coffee passes through the de-pulper, it is sorted by density and channeled accordingly into separate fermentation tanks for a 12-hour period. Following fermentation, the coffee is soaked in water for 24 hours before it gets transferred to shaded pre-drying beds. From there, the coffee is moved to a separate drying area of raised beds where it is carefully monitored for up to three weeks until the desired moisture level has been achieved. Taking such intentional care of the coffee during the wet milling and drying processes is essential for preserving the quality and stability of each lot.

Pacamara

On the western border of Nyamasheke district, where this coffee is grown, lies the shore of majestic Lake Kivu. The lake straddles the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is one of the African Great Lakes. On the Congo side of Lake Kivu, the northern shore is home to two active volcanoes. To the south and east, the area is bordered by Nyungwe Forest National Park. The area is characterized by a steep, hilly landscape with farms perched at high altitudes. The unique positioning between a volcanic lake and the dense forest creates a cool climate and nutrient-rich volcanic soil, which combine to create an environment conducive to growing high-quality coffee with distinctive flavors in the cup.

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Cherry | Cola | Tangerine

This Coffee is Organic, Direct Trade and in Season.

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