As engineers we like data – and this year we’re being blown away by the data we’re collecting from Pontien’s washing station in Mutambu Commune. For the season he has received 850 tons of coffee cherries, a large increase over last year’s harvest. One of the major factors that is driving this increase in coffee reception is that the local coffee farmers know Pontien and trust that he will pay them for the coffee they bring him. Unfortunately there is a bad history in Burundi of farmers bringing their coffee to a washing station and then not being paid for over a year! Not only do we pay our farmers on time, we pay them a bonus based on quality.