Coffea Stenophylla: A Future for Coffee

Over the past weeks we’ve started moving from planning into actually building things on the ground.

After the first dry season, the priorities are very clear now:
water, shade, and basic infrastructure to keep the trees alive.

Water System
We’re currently building out the revised watering setup based on what didn’t work in January.
This includes:
– a third 5,000L tank at a lower point
– a 10,000L relay tank foundation higher up
– proper concrete pads for all tanks

At the same time, we’re arranging shipment of a Honda lift pump, as the locally available pumps simply couldn’t handle the distance and elevation.

The idea is simple:
→ pump from the stream
→ move water step by step up the farm
→ store it where we need it
It’s not a full irrigation system yet — but it’s what we need right now to get trees through the dry season.

Storage Building
We’ve also started building a small storage structure (approx. 10 × 13 ft) on the farm.

Until now everything had to be moved in and out daily — tools, fuel, materials.
This slows everything down and adds risk.

Having a fixed structure on site will make day-to-day work much more reliable.

Shade Trees & Bees
We’re now taking shade more seriously as part of the system.
Plan is to plant around 60–80 local canopy trees, mainly Albizia and Terminalia.
These will:
– reduce heat stress
– help retain moisture in the soil
– gradually stabilise the microclimate

We’re also looking into integrating beehives and bee-supporting trees.
Besides biodiversity, this could also create a small additional income stream later on.

KoboCollect – Second Round
We’ve started a second full round of KoboCollect data after the first dry season.
This gives us a clear picture of what actually happened on the ground.
Many plants are doing well
But we are also seeing real losses, mainly from heat and lack of water
It’s tough to see, but it confirms what we already knew:
without water and shade in place, survival will stay a challenge.

Partnership Registration
The partnership is now officially registered.
It doesn’t change the field reality overnight, but it’s an important step.
We now have a proper structure in place to build on.

Where We Are Right Now
We know what needs to be done:
– finish the water setup
– establish shade
– stabilise survival

But this phase is also where funding becomes critical.
We’re currently working to close the gap needed to complete:
– water infrastructure
– tank installation
– shade tree planting
— basic farm setup

Moving Forward
This is still early stage.
It’s not about yield yet — it’s about getting through this phase, learning, and building something that can actually last.

Step by step.

Thank you all for your Interest and support

Matt, Hannah and Magnus.

If you’d like to support the project, you can do so here:
👉 https://gofund.me/5653bf213