KENYA

This Fully washed lot is cultivated by smallholders in Kirinyaga and processed at Kiunyu factory in Kiandumu. Farmers cultivate small farms of approximately 250 to 350 trees at altitudes of 1,650+ meters above sea level. The high altitudes provide the warm days and cool nights that help nurture sweet, dense cherry. This coffee is fragrant with florals, sweet berries, peach and black tea. Kiunyu Factory is owned by Karithathi Farmers’ Cooperative Society (FCS).

Farmers delivering to Kiunyu can access lower-cost coffee and fruit tree seedlings and inputs, as well as lines of credit. Agronomists support each farmer with trainings, agronomic advice and more. Farmers also receive training on how to attain and maintain Rainforest Alliance certification.

Farmers receive technical agronomic support and soil sampling from Kahawa Bora. The soil sampling program addresses a key step in farmer profitability. Lower input costs mean lower overall production costs and higher profits. More targeted input application also translates into healthier trees and higher-quality cherry. Prior to Kahawa Bora’s soil sampling program, farmers had little access to soil analysis methods. Fertilizer, when applied, would be formulated according to a generalized recipe rather than one uniquely suited to the farm’s exact needs. With better access to information through technology and agronomical assistance, farmers can apply the right fertilizer recipe at the right time, improving yields and cherry quality.

Farmers delivering to Kiunyu cultivate primarily SL28 and SL34 in small coffee gardens that are, on average, smaller than 1 hectare. ‘SL’ varieties are cultivars originally released by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) in the 1930s and 1940s. They soon became the go-to trees for many growers in Kenya due to their deep root structure, which allows them to maximize scarce water resources and flourish even without irrigation. They are cultivated with a serious eye towards sustainability and Good Agricultural Practices, with minimal environmental impact where possible.

Batian is a relatively new variety introduced by the Kenya Coffee Research Institute (CRI) in 2010. Batian is named after the highest peak on Mt. Kenya and is resistant to both CBD and CLR. The variety has the added benefit of early maturity – cropping after only two years. Similar to Batian, Ruiru 11 is a new variety known for its disease resistance and high yields. It also starts yielding fruit after just 2 years.
Smallholders selectively handpick only ripe cherry and deliver it to Kiunyu Factory. At intake, the Cherry Clerk oversees meticulous visual sorting and floating, accepting only dense, ripe cherry.
After intake, cherry is pulped and fermented. Following fermentation, coffee is washed in clean water and laid to dry on raised beds. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. They cover drying parchment during the hottest time of day, to maintain slow, even drying and at night, to shelter parchment from moisture.

Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AA beans are the largest size. AA grade coffees are those that are 17/18.5 screen size, meaning that they are larger than 7.2 millimeters.