Counter Culture Coffee | Coffee Driven

News Archive

From the Road: Kenya

6-21-10

Kim Elena with representatives of the Thiriku co-op in Nyeri,
Kenya, in June, 2010.

Following her visit to Burundi, our Sustainability & Producer Relations Manager Kim Elena Bullock headed to Nyeri, Kenya, and filed a report from her visit to the Thiriku cooperative society from which Counter Culture Coffee bought a harvest lot of coffee last year.

This wasn't Kim Elena's first time to Kenya, but she had never seen a Kenyan coffee farm or any of the numerous washing stations from which Counter Culture has purchased coffee. She arrived at the washing station full of questions. How many growers are in the co-op? What is the average yield per plant? Why does this coffee taste so amazing?

Read her full trip report in our COFFEE ORIGINS section to learn more about her trip and our partners in Kenya.

Best,
Nathan

From the Road: Burundi

6-15-10

Kim Elena at the Buziraguhindwa washing station.

Our Sustainability & Producer Relations Manager Kim Elena Bullock filed a report from her recent trip to Burundi (her first) to visit several of the washing stations with which Counter Culture Coffee has partnered in recent years.

In Burundi, as in Rwanda and Kenya, Counter Culture has traditionally referred to coffees by the names of the washing stations – as opposed to co-op or farm, as in Latin America. The washing station plays a very important role in the greatness of Burundi's coffee, and Kim Elena was excited to spend several days visiting washing stations in the Kayanza and Muyinga provinces to the northeast of the capital city of Bujumbura

Suffice it to say that she left Burundi more than a little bit enamored of the country, its people, and its coffee.

Read Kim Elena's trip report from Burundi in our COFFEE ORIGINS section.

Thanks,
Nathan

Back from the Road: A Visit to Popayán, Colombia, During Harvest Season

Coffee from Manuel Melenje's Finca Villa María was one of our mid-season microlots from our La Golondrina project.

5-26-10

Our Sustainability & Producer Relations Manager Kim Elena Bullock filed a trip report from her recent visit to Popayán, Colombia, to catch up with our partners in the Organica association whose members contribute to our La Golondrina coffee.

In her report, Kim Elena reflects on the outcome of predictions made during her previous visit 8 months prior, and recounts her visits to farms hit hard by "leaf rust" during the rainy season and a birthday celebration in her honor!

Read her full trip report from her in our COFFEE ORIGINS section!

Thanks,
Nathan

Back from the Road: Mexico, April 2010

4-20-10

Oaxaca's unique blend of indigenous Mexican and colonial Spanish cultures make semana santa a popular place to watch parades and processions. Photo by Kim Elena Bullock.

Our Sustainability & Sustainability & Producer Relations Manager Kim Elena Bullock filed a trip report from her recent visit with the young, dedicated leaders of the 21st de Septiembre co-op. In her report, Kim recalls cupping new crop coffees from contributing farmers, addresses lot separation challenges, and offers news of replanting initiatives and soil improvement efforts!

Read her full trip report from her visit with this amazing cooperative in our COFFEE ORIGINS section!

Thanks,
Nathan

Worm Compost Update from Colombia

3-22-10

Counter Culture Coffee's Kim Elena Bullock in Colombia in 2009 at a then-new worm compost facility.

In her trip report from Colombia last fall, Sustainability and Producer Relations Manager Kim Elena Bullock mentioned a new project to supply the growers of La Golondrina with more organic material for their small, certified organic coffee farms.

Kim recently received an update on the project from our partners in Popayan, and she filed an update in the DEVELOPMENT AT ORIGIN portion of our SUSTAINABILITY section.

Read Kim's update for exciting news about this sustainability development!

Thanks,
Nathan