Growing up on my family’s hobby farm in rural southeast Wisconsin, I developed my passion for agriculture at a young age. My summers were dedicated to prepping show pigs and cattle for our county fair, and the rest of the year I cared for my family’s home-farrowed swine and beef herd. Through long hours of work, often after a tiring sports practice or late at night when I wanted to be doing just about anything else, I gained an appreciation for agriculture and the responsibility farmers have for the people they feed.

Nestled between the Nsere and Weruweru rivers and on the high mesas surrounding Mount Kilimanjaro lies Two Bridges Farm. Fields sprawl a vast 316 acres, with tall, proud coffee plants swaying in the breeze. As we walked into the main office, we were greeted by the sight of women in bright skirts carrying giant bags of coffee beans on their heads.