Bwakaye from Burundi

BIGG Adventure

In December, I wrote to you about my immersive coffee adventure in Chiapas, Mexico. I loved that opportunity, and I have immense admiration for the pioneering work Bob & Michelle Fish are doing with One BIGG Island in Space.

And, their work is paying off! BIGGBY COFFEE is now at 50% Farm-Direct, and the BIGGBY Best blend is now 100% Farm-Direct. That means every bean in that bag of BIGGBY Best Blend coffee you buy, comes directly from a farmer doing right by their people, their planet, and their community. ​

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“When Bob and I started One Bigg Island in Space in 2018 and took on the mission from BIGGBY COFFEE to be 100% Farm-Direct by 2028, we didn’t know what we were doing. And we certainly didn’t know how we were going to do it.
But we got started anyway.
It’s been like flying a rocket ship while you are building it in space.”
~ Michelle Fish

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Exploratory Trip
Expansive Opportunity

Hello friends!

When Bob & Michelle invited me along for their first “boots on the ground” trip to Burundi? This time, I did pause . . . at least for a moment.

Truth? I wasn’t even confident I could spell Burundi, let alone locate it on a map.

But, as I talked with Mike about my first-ever trip to Africa, my excitement grew. Within hours of the invitation I replied: “I’m all in!”

That was only a couple of weeks ago, so the need to prepare kicked in quickly. I’ve been reading and learning about Burundi. I’m attempting to learn a few phrases in Kirundi. I immediately reached out to my Dr. asking about vaccinations and immunizations. This lead me to a Passport Travel Clinic in Grand Rapids where I learned a lot . . . including the fact that my body doesn’t love dealing in Yellow Fever nor Typhoid Fever. Thank goodness for the protection!

It’s such a privilege to have this opportunity.

Those coffee beans coming directly from Farm-Direct relationships? This is how it gets started. One exploratory trip at a time. Bob and Michelle have said they will follow any lead. While not all leads translate directly into a partnership, all leads do foster relationship building and new knowledge.

I can’t wait to see all that emerges from this experience!

I look forward to sharing more when I return!

💡 & ♥️
~ m​