Kinyovu Washing Station // International Women's Coffee Alliance

A few days late for International Women’s Day, but I’m thrilled to share photos from my time in Burundi with International Women’s Coffee Alliance (and Charlie, on behalf of Blue Bottle).

IWCA is an international organization hell bent on empowering women in the coffee industry, and specifically the very-male-dominated producing side of the industry. The truth is women are farming everywhere, all of the time, but in lots of countries it is the men who are delivering the cherries or parchment - and receiving the cash. Whether or not they share the earnings fairly with their wives and families varies from culture to culture, community to community, man to man. There are a only few gender equality initiatives at work right now working to balance this inequity and International Women's Coffee Alliance is at the forefront. Another great one is Partnership for Gender Equity.

International Women’s Coffee Alliance has 22 in-country chapters throughout the producing world, and I was lucky enough to tag along with their Burundi chapter (and Charlie, representing Blue Bottle) at Kinyovu washing station near the province Kayanza, Burundi. We were greeted with singing and dancing and thousands of farmers - all there to celebrate the year’s first quality premium - a bonus for a successful harvest - being handed out to each of the female farmers of the washing station. 

IWCA has worked with over 1,000 female farmers to not just help them improve the quality of their coffee - thereby able to sell their coffee for better prices - but to also help them establish financial equality and independence within their family. The IWCA chapter in Burundi, led by longtime leaders in the local industry, developed a profit-splitting initiative with Kinyovu Station a couple years ago. On this afternoon, the IWCA-Burundi board handed out the earned premiums to each of the women involved - requiring the important step that each women, one by one, meet with the treasurer to count, sign for and receive their money in person. 

Excitingly for all of us, Blue Bottle purchased this coffee and is serving it in some cafes now. You can also order IWCA's Kinyovu coffee online.

Marcia & Sarah // An Oakland Engagement Session Over Waffles

Marcia & Sarah reached out to me in early spring of last year. They were planning a trip from Singapore to California - first to San Francisco where Marcia would show Sarah the life she once lived as a student in SF, and then down to LA where they would start to plan their intimate weekday wedding, scheduled for March 1, 2018.

Legal marriage isn't an option, yet, for Marcia & Sarah back home in Singapore, so they wanted to be married somewhere where they could be celebrated and legally recognized. Choosing a city with a vibrant restaurant scene was their second priority (because a week of eating well is this TV chef & filmmaker duo's idea of heaven), and the reason they landed in Los Angeles for their destination wedding.

But they wanted to have an engagement session in Oakland, where Marcia had spent years exploring as a student and small business owner (she sold her own kaya, which she started making for herself in the throws of homesickness - she was missing her own food). We connected with Nora, the owner of Drip Line, one of my favorite cafes in Oakland, and they chowed down on sweet and savory breakfast waffles, all infused with Nora's own Singaporean flavors.

Afterwards, we went to Mountain View Cemetery at the top of Piedmont Ave, which secretly has one of my favorite views in the East Bay.

Jayna & David // A San Francisco City Hall Elopement

Jayna & David flew in from Denver to elope at San Francisco City Hall with two of their favorite friends. David had lived here long ago, and the weight and romance of City Hall drew them back to the Bay Area to begin their marriage.

Mild introverts, and big fans of snacks, Jayna & David packed champagne and sweets for a post-ceremony picnic. We drove into Golden Gate Park and they laid out their spread in front of the Conservatory of Flowers. Jayna kicked off her shoes as David popped open their champagne and they toasted to the next phase in their lives. I gave them a bit of space to enjoy this quiet time together, and Jayna gave David a book of poems she had secretly been writing in the lead up to their wedding day. 

As we were getting ready to leave the Conservatory grounds, we spied two food trucks getting their grills going. With her sweet, sweet smile (and the help of her wedding dress), Jayna convinced the taco truck to serve them early, and they devoured marriage tacos in the golden light of the setting sun.