Tanzanian Producer Profile
Barton shows the leaves of a tree which he harvests to make a natural insecticide to spray on his coffee trees. Barton's father's farm is on the ridge above overlooking Barton and Trezia's home.
Barton Mbwaga and his wife Trezia are a part of the community of HOPE Organic farmers who grow coffee which is purchased by Level Ground Trading and sold as Café Mbeya. The coffee milling station nearest their farm is at Luswisi. This is where they sell their coffee and receive cash for their crop. They have 5 children. The day we visited their farm was a school day and all of their children were attending school.
Barton and Trezia's farm is 1,390 mts above sea level in an area where there are few level places. Hills rise sharply and farmland is criss-crossed with pathways to access neighboring farms and roadways. To visit their home you need to be willing to descend sharply on a narrow, winding footpath from the road above. In the dry season (when we visited) the path was more of a 'hike' than a 'walk'. During the rainy season, the slope combined with the slipperiness of the soil would make foot travel very challenging. They have a diverse farm on 1.5 acres where they grow coffee, casava, maize, bananas and sweet potatoes. At the bottom of their property they have a fish pond where they raise tilapia. They have a freshwater spring running within 30 meters of their home.
When we visited their home, they prepared us coffee with lots of sugar already added. Their home is a small brick building which they've constructed from bricks they make on site. The food preparation and cooking over a fire is commonly done separate from the residence.
