Update From the Haiti Coffee Academy

We recently traveled to Haiti to visit the Haiti Coffee Academy, and we’re happy to say that there has been some fantastic progress made over the past two months. It has been drawing a lot of local attention. There is great interest in seeing the facility, especially from other Haitian coffee companies, and it is already apparent that we are helping to change the business landscape of the country’s coffee industry, while continuing to build better support systems for the small farmers.

Highlights include:

– Most of the farm (12 hectares) has now been replanted with the new varieties from the nursery. By September 19, the replanting will be completed.

– A decision was reached between a local water company and the farm owners to begin work on a new water reservoir, which increases the academy’s water capacity from a 16,000-gallon tank to almost 100,000 gallons. This reservoir is crucial to expand the nursery and to provide the farm and local community with a cleaner and more consistent water supply.

– The first major academic program just commenced earlier this week, and we’ll be seeing 375 local farmers take part in a 3-month training program. Led by 3 instructors, there will be groups of 125 farmers across 4 geographical coffee zones that are close to the farm.

We also took a few photos of the progress and the dedicated people helping us make a difference. For more info about the Haiti Coffee Academy, check out its newly launched website at http://HaitiCoffeeAcademy.com.