About This Coffee
German settlers first planted coffee on Tembo Tembo estate in the 1920s. Today, the estate is owned and operated by Gaétan and Caroline Bordier, a Swiss couple.
As with neighboring Acacia Hills Estate, the view from Tembo Tembo Estate is surreal. From the Northern edges of the farm, you can see the edge of Ngorogoro crater, an ancient collapsed volcano whose fertile valley is now home to dozens of different animal species: from African elephants to lions, rhinoceros and leopards and giraffes. The northern border of the estate lies along the Southwestern side of Mount Oldeani, whose slopes drain water into Lake Eyasi, a key saltwater lake on the borders of Ngorogoro Conservation area and Serengeti National Park.
Cultivation
Gaétan and Caroline began renovating the farm in 2009. In addition to implementing modern cultivation techniques to help increase the quality of their coffee, they also planted Geisha and Pacamara seedlings, two varieties renown for producing quality coffee and high cup scores.
Gaétan and Caroline believe that the next steps towards quality improvement lie in the small details and are focused on improving post-harvest control, especially moisture content, in order to increase coffee quality.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked and delivered to the farm’s onsite wet mill. Cherry is pulped on an Ecopulper and dry fermented. Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and then laid to dry on African raised beds for 8-10 days. Parchment is turned regularly to ensure even drying.
Traditionally, the estate dries parchment directly in the sun. Parchment rests on the farm for 1-2 months in lined, airtight bags stored on wooden pallets.
Coffee in Tanzania
Coffee’s roots in Tanzania can be traced via oral history back to the Haya tribe of Northwest Tanzania in the 16th century. Following German and then British colonial rule, the Tanzanian coffee industry has undergone many transformations and adjustments in an effort to create the most equal, profitable and high-quality coffee possible. Today, our in-country partner, Sucafina Tanzania, is invested in improving the coffee and the lives of smallholder farmers through a variety of initiatives.
Coffee in Tanzania was grown almost exclusively in the North for a long time. The Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Tarime, Kagera, Kigoma and Karatu/Ngorongoro regions were prized for their ideal Arabica growing conditions. At the time, coffee production was so concentrated in the north that Moshi, a northern municipality, was the only hub for all coffee milling and sales.
Operations in Moshi grew to truly massive proportions in the 1950s and early-1960s. Since both Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi were under British rule in the post-war decades, Moshi was the second milling and sales hub (after Nairobi, Kenya) for British coffee production.
Coffee cultivation has extended southwards in recent years. In addition to the historical powerhouse regions in the north, coffee is now also grown in the southern regions of Ruvuma and Mbeya/Mbozi. Most Southern expansion of coffee growing occurred in the 1970s and 1980s and was encouraged by two projects supported by European backers. In an ironic twist, today 75 to 85% of total coffee production in Tanzania today comes from farms in the south.