Long Miles purchased the Thunguri washing station in the north of Kirinyaga in 2019, and have just completed their first full harvest season. We were able to visit the station in January of this year, and have been awaiting the arrival of this year’s lots since. Being able to spend time with the team on the ground, absorbing their genuine and passionate drive for better conditions and welfare for their partner farmers, was one of the most inspiring parts of the trip. They have been funding trees for farmers, mainly Macadamia and Avocado. Planting these trees sequesters carbon, giving access to green grants, allowing Long Miles to fund community projects and agronomic support for farmers through their Coffee Scout programme. The farmers also get to sell the products from the trees to market, giving them an extra source of income. The factory itself has been intensely refurbished since it was purchased, and has employed highly skilled experts in the field. Station employees visit each farmer to collect cherry, in order to increase their engagement, making sure of conditions on the farm, and of the quality of the cherry that enters the factory. Cherry collected from each small zone, similar to the hills model in Burundi, are kept separate. This allows the creation of micro-lots by zone and by days picking. Through extensive tasting we were slowly able to observe how conditions and micro-climate combine to create distinct taste profiles, and even tasted a few separated single farmer lots, processed in the field on small hand-cranked depulpers. Long Miles are committed to growing slowly, building trust within the community and creating a real difference for their partner coffee farmers, just as they have in Burundi. Furthermore, the team are in discussions about a small plot of land in western Kenya, not far from the border with Uganda, where they look to establish their own farm, planted from scratch with a focus on regenerative farming practices.