Kenya Dark 2.2lb Bean

Kagumoini wet mill was organized as part of the Kamacharia Farmers Cooperative Society when this was first allowed in 1993. It has been silently but steadily growing its base ever since. Its base is more than 1300 active smallholder members who bring in cherry by the pillow-sack or jute-bag. Cherries are delivered to the mill the same day as picking, where they are floated, pulped, and fermented overnight before washing, density grading, and drying on raised beds until they reach 10.5% – 11.5%, often 11-15 days. The cooperative votes to invest a portion of fees towards a fund for school fees, emergencies, and farm implements. They also invest in a standing program to promote 'Good Agricultural Practices,' standard training that boosts productivity and quality. The third leg of their program is built around sustainable water management, both on the farm and at the mill.

We sourced the Kenya AB Kagumoini from Crop to Cup Importers. They are a small green coffee importing company that aims to connect producers and roasters on their journey to better coffee. Crop to Cup actively seeks out up-and-coming producers, connecting them with roasters focused on quality and supply chain integrity.

Crop to Cup has provided the following insight into the country:

"Kenya occupies a top spot in specialty coffee, and Kenyan top lots are always among the most expensive of any harvest. Yet it's a country where coffee production is dropping year over year. In Kenya, traceability is given, but knowing what you want and how to get it are two different things. Rarely do we find partners more capable, and loyalties more difficult to navigate than we do in Kenya. Competition in Kenya is fierce, making prized coffees feel like even more of a success.

No matter how formally the industry is structured, coffee still remains a system of people. In a country where farmers own their cherry production, there is additional power to connect with coffee's most important stakeholder. Farmers can, for example, point you to the best collections from every harvest or delay sending their lots to auction to give you another week to sample.
Coffee experimentation is not the name of the game. With washed coffees working so well, you won't find many a manager willing to mess around with different fermentations, flotation, drying times or with certifications like organic.

The experiment, instead, is that of a business model. How do cooperatives normalize earnings to keep their members engaged in coffee? How do we take away red tape to encourage more farmers to plant more coffee instead of corn or dairy? How can small estates split off and succeed under their own pulping license? Is it better to sell through auction or directly to an international buyer – can you afford to cut out your marketing agent? Once you speak to these problems you are speaking the language of coffee in Kenya – this is a country that already knows how to coffee."

We want to thank Crop to Cup very much for providing insight into the country's context. We appreciate their knowledge, transparent supply chain, and the traceability of their coffees.