Kenya - Giathugu Cooperative

Kenya - Giathugu Cooperative

Location: Nyeri
Producer: Giathugu Washing Station
Process: Washed
Varietal: SL-28, SL-34, Ruiru, Batian
Altitude: 1500 - 1800 MASL

Medium Roast

We Taste: Apricot, Marmalade, Mace

Giathugu Washing Station is a member of the Rugi Farmer Cooperative Society, which has a total of 4,590 active members utilizing eight central processing facilities. The total hectares of land these farmers represent is only 579 hectares, which goes to show how small the average plot is.

The coffee is delivered in cherry form to the factory and depulped the day it's received. It's fermented overnight and then moved through water channels to be cleaned, soaked, and sorted by density. It is dried on raised beds for between 7–15 days, during which time it's constantly hand-rotated in order to maintain even dryness.

This cooperative society sets aside funds every harvest to be used as pre-financing for the producers, a credit system that is utilized through their marketing agent, Coffee Management Services (CMS). CMS also provides training and Good Practice seminars to members of the cooperative society.

Rugi FCS is a super-band consisting of the region's best wet mills that have contributed to the cooperative since its founding in 2005. The cooperative's collection zone borders Wajee Nature Park, a bird conservancy with over 10 hectares of unspoilt natural forest. The Wajee Nature Park is home to 126 local species of birds, plus species only known here such as the Hindes Babbler and Side-Striped Jackal. Coffee has intentionally been cultivated around the edges of the park as a buffer, and because of the healthy relationship between the birds and trees.

Who’d’ve thunk that a Kenyan coffee would arrive just in time for chilly weather, and with such aplomb. Crisp and sparkling notes of apricot blend with a velvety orange marmalade to finish with lingering touches of mace or nutmeg.