BH-N31: Baho Blend Natural

This is a top-quality screen 13/14 natural lot from Baho Coffee. It is a blend of coffees delivered to Baho's washing stations, combined according to flavour profile to produce a consistent and repeatable coffee.

Emma Rusatira, the owner of Baho, chose strategic washing stations to work with, making sure he had a spot in most areas in Rwanda where great quality can be produced. Though some CWS are managed by cooperatives, Emma deals with small farmers directly. They come and deliver cherry in their names (not under the name of a cooperative), making the relationship between Baho and the farmers closer. 

Fugi CWS, in the Nyaruguru district, Southern Province, is Emma's most famous washing station, is located in the Nyaruguru district, Southern Province, and favoured by a stable temperature curve throughout the year that yields bright coffees. The quality manager of Fugi, Mrs Nyiraneza Assoumpta, is one of the standout Baho employees. She has been working in coffee for six years and is one of the reasons behind the success of this station.

Muzo CWS is based in the Gakenke District, Northern Province. It is a small washing station bought by Emma in 2018 and supplied by the farmers of the experienced Muzo Cooperative. According to Emma, Muzo is "where we most likely produce our finest coffees." The station is located in the basin of a hill, "which pushes up cold air in the night" and helps with the drying process.

Bugoyi CWS is in the Rutsiro District, Western Province, on the shore of Lake Kivu where 80% of the workers are women and the African beds receive gentle winds to cool the beans and soft sunlight to dry the coffee.

Ngoma CWS is located by the shores of Lake Kivu in the Nyamasheke district, Southern Province. It is an area with many washing stations and the competition for cherry is very high as there is a good combination of soil, which is volcanic, and temperature. The days are hot but, at night, the lake blows cool air on the raised beds.

Humure CWS is named after the highest hill in the Gatsibo district, Eastern Province. Humure is entirely managed by women. After washing the coffee, the water is captured and pumped back up the hill to be used again.

Emma also owns Kinazi CWS in the Ruhango District, Southern Province, a small station near Fugi and with a similar flavour profile, and Akagera CWS, in the Nyamasheke District, near Ngoma and with excellent potential for quality.

Emma supports farmers with access to fertilisers and donations of seedlings, helps them to check the condition of their trees and trains them through the Farmer Field Schools with GAP analysis, aimed at understanding agronomic conditions, practices, challenges, and farmer attitudes. Furthermore, he supports the farmers by covering their social insurance and giving them second payments at the end of the crop.

 
Baho developed its own grading system that goes one step beyond the traditional grading in Rwanda. All Baho stations employ their own extended grading system to separate beans into different qualities and sizes. They provide three sizes of beans: A, B and C. Grade A are the largest and of the highest quality. At Baho Coffee stations, grade A is further separated into two grades(A+, A-) and grade B into two separate grades (B+, B-), with C remaining a single grade. This is done for all washed coffee.

“Baho means "stay alive" or  "be strong", "don't give up". It is the kind of thing you say to friends when they tell you of their misfortunes or problems. When they want to give up. You hug them and say "Baho!". You give them comfort. This is what I aim to achieve with my company and the coffees we produce, to give comfort to the ones who drink it and the ones who grow it. It is something that is deeply connected to my personal history as a genocide survivor and to the journey of coffee. Coffee is a crop that goes through many difficulties. It is hit by the weather, by bad management,  then you pick it, heat if with fire…  If you could ask coffee to tell you its journey you’d cry. I believe coffee can, in fact, speak. And for me, it says something like... Baho.”

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