Typically, farms in the Nyamagabe region are very small – averaging around a quarter of a hectare (or 300-600 trees) – and are situated between 1,750 to 2,100 meters above sea level. The high elevation of the surrounding area allows coffee cherry to ripen slowly, resulting in a complex and sweet flavour profile. Coffee is grown as a cash crop, alongside subsistence food crops like maize, beans and sorghum and some livestock like goats and chickens. Cows are also an important asset to a farming family. Besides having practical advantages – like providing milk and yoghurt to feed the family, producing excellent manure for the coffee farms, and being an opportunity for additional income – they are also a traditional symbol of wealth and status in Rwanda