“My husband convinced me that I should do and declare a cause,” said Liston, a Fairfield resident since 2012. “At the time I had several friends who were struggling to raise the needed funds to adopt children. I believe that if I call myself pro-life I need to put my money and time toward the cause of providing homes for children who would otherwise not have families.”
Liston said she’s been able to to give “significant” funds toward five adoptions so far.
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She started roasting coffee from her home in spring 2014.
“I couldn’t find coffee I liked to drink at the store, so I did some research and started roasting in a popcorn popper, just for the family,” she said. “People started asking for it once they tried it and my husband convinced me to start roasting on a larger scale and selling it.”
Summer 2015 marked the first Fairfield Village Green Farmers Market, and Liston said the manager of the market persuaded her to sell coffee there.
Starting out with four single-source coffees, the Mwimbula Fresh Coffee • Fresh Bread has expanded to carry 12.
Coffee varieties from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Sumatra, Rwanda and Burundi are available when they are in season. Mwimbula also carries three Swiss Water Processed Decaf coffees: Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia.
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“Most of my coffee is either fair trade or farm gate, (meaning) the farmer is paid directly by the buyer (with) no co op or middle man,” she said. “Several of the coffees are organic.”
Mwimbula Fresh Coffee • Fresh Bread sells its products at Fairfield's farmers market, as well as West Chester Farmers Market and Market Wagon, an online farmers market that recently launched its first Ohio fulfillment location is Butler County's West Chester Twp.
Liston branched out to offer freshly baked bread in summer 2017.
“Two summers ago we lost our bread vendor at Fairfield Farmers Market and I asked the manager if I could give it a whirl,” she said. “She was willing and, as they say, the rest is history.”
By the middle of summer, the business bakes about 40 loaves a week, plus a few other items like English muffins.
“I like to change up the varieties,” she said. “I always have Seeds and Wheat, Rustic White and baguettes, then I add a special loaf. Often, it depends on the season.”
Liston said that she likes to use local ingredients such as fresh jalapenos, rosemary and even local garlic. During the holidays, she uses cranberries, citrus and nuts in her breads.
The name Mwimbula gets its name from a nickname Liston received while growing up in Africa. She was born in Zambia and lived in South West Tanzania until she was 17. Her family still lives there.
“The guys who worked for my dad gave me the name after I begged them for a nickname,” she said. “It means ‘wedding cow’ … (which) is a major part of the wedding feast. It is brought to the bride’s village by the groom’s family for the celebration of the marriage.”
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