Up on the slopes of Mount Elgon, in Uganda's Sironko District, sits The Coffee Yard — TCY for short, and exactly what it says on the tin. This is a women-led operation built entirely around the bit of coffee's journey that rarely gets talked about: what happens after the cherries are picked. TCY handles the harvesting, sorting and drying for both washed and natural Arabica, turning good coffee into genuinely specialty-grade coffee through careful, patient post-harvest work — the kind that makes all the difference in your cup.

What really sets TCY apart is who's doing that work. The yard supports over 3,500 smallholder farmers, and each season employs around 130 women in grading and drying, plus 50 young men helping with drying and transport. Through premium pricing, committed suppliers have seen their household incomes rise by as much as 40%, and TCY partners with POST Bank Uganda to help farmers access loans and financial know-how. So the coffee in your box this month didn't just come from a farm — it came through the hands of a whole community built around getting it right.