Factory: Karinga
Gitwe Farmers Cooperative Society operates the Karinga Factory, which was
founded in 1983. There are about 650 contributing members who deliver cherry to
the factory, each growing coffee alongside other crops on about 1 hectare each,
average.The farmers bring their cherry to the factory for sorting and processing as
soon as it is picked: The coffee is depulped, then fermented for 12–24 hours before
being washed four times and spread on raised beds for 8–13 days. The factory has
partnered with Coffee Management Services (CMS) in an attempt to increase
production, but growth has been somewhat slow because of the local emphasis on
growing tea in place of coffee.The cooperative has a field committee that assists
members by providing various services, including sourcing seeds and seedlings
from the Coffee Research Center to guidance about fertilizer and performing farm
visits to offer assistance. The field committee also conducts inspections to see
whether coffee is properly intercropped with other products like beans and corn.
Program: Microlot Karimikui - AA - Kirinyaga
Microlots from Kenya are traceable to either the factory level or individual farm level (when possible), and are selected basis
cup score. Because the majority of coffee farmers in Kenya own between 1/8–1/4 a hectare of land, most deliver coffee in
cherry form to a local factory for sorting and processing; at the factory, the deliveries are blended and processed into day lots
comprising the day' s deliveries. Our green buyer for Kenya typically takes up residency in Kenya during the harvest due to the
sheer number of samples to be cupped and selects the best of these lots to purchase as microlots (fewer than 100 bags).
Program: Microlot Karinga - AA - Kiambu
Microlots from Kenya are traceable to either the factory level or individual farm level (when possible), and are selected basis
cup score. Because the majority of coffee farmers in Kenya own between 1/8–1/4 a hectare of land, most deliver coffee in
cherry form to a local factory for sorting and processing; at the factory, the deliveries are blended and processed into day lots
comprising the day' s deliveries. Our green buyer for Kenya typically takes up residency in Kenya during the harvest due to the
sheer number of samples to be cupped and selects the best of these lots to purchase as microlots (fewer than 100 bags).
Process: Washed Karinga - AA - Kiambu
Most of Kenya's coffee is produced by smallholders delivering to factories (central processing units) who predominantly
produce Washed coffees. Estates are also best-known for their Washed lots. The Washed process in Kenya may vary slightly
from place to place, but it generally contains a soaking step that is unique to this growing country. First the coffee is picked ripe
and depulped the same day, then it is normally fermented in open-air tanks made of concrete or cement for 24–48 hours. It's
then washed thoroughly using water channels before being soaked underwater for 12–72 hours. It is then spread on raised
beds to dry.
Variety: Batian, SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 Karinga - AA - Kiambu
Although this specific lot is not traceable down to a single variety, it represents a blend of Batian, SL28, SL34, and Ruiru 11.
Region: Kiambu Karinga - AA - Kiambu
Kiambu is the highest-producing region in Kenya due to its high rainfall and cooler temperatures in the highlands, and its
history of coffee and tea trade. The region is 40% rural and 60% urban, with a mixture of smallholder producers and larger
plantations. The region is divided into four topographical zones containing three soil types. Most of the coffee production is in
the uplands which are rich in red volcanic soils. This area is famous for providing the world with the distinctive cup profile of
acidic, grapefruit-tasting coffee.