About This Coffee
Francis Kihanda brings a great wealth of knowledge to his farm, Wangaki. For many years, he was a Principal Research Office with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). There, he worked on a wide range of research initiatives based at KARI’s Embu Agricultural Research Station, including climate change mitigation in agriculture. Francis is retired now, but he applies his experience and wisdom to the cultivation of Wangiki farm, in Kenya’s Embu County on the slopes of Mount Kenya.
It is unsurprising that Francis is one of a handful of producers in Kenya now working with Natural processing. The processing method perfectly complements the deep, forest fruit cup profile typical of the region.
Cultivation
The farm’s 3 hectares are planted with the traditional SL28 and SL34. ‘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 to sustainability and Good Agricultural Practices, with minimal environmental impact where possible.
Francis collaborates with the great team of agronomists and field officers at Sucafina/Kahawa Bora to maximize the potential of his small farm. From soil analysis to pruning best practices, he receives expert support in cultivating the best possible coffee and improving his yields.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
High-quality natural coffees from Kenya are rare, making this coffee even more exciting. Wangaki Estate has worked with Sucafina/Kahawa Bora to perfect the natural processing method to make the most of their already exceptional coffee.
Cherry is selectively handpicked and laid in very thin layers on raised beds to dry for 18 to 24 days. During this time, they cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying.
In Kenya, naturals are still traditionally considered a by-product of a selection process geared towards quality. Called ‘mbuni’, these coffees were previously made up of damaged and underripe cherries that were ‘rejected’ during the wet milling process. This is changing rapidly as the market for such coffees grows, and Kahawa Bora’s support of innovative farms, such as Wangaki, is crucial to continue perfecting the processing method.
About Embu
Embu County lies just to the east of Mouth Kenya, with a good portion of land reaching into the foothills. Soil and climate in the region are ideal for farming coffee. Some of the country’s earliest factories (wet mills) were established here, and today some of Kenya’s best coffees come from this beautiful region.
Today, farmers across the region (like many in Kenya) face the dual challenges of low productivity combined with land fragmentation (smaller plot sizes). This makes the agronomic and technical support from our team at Sucafina in Kenya (Kenyacof) all the more important.
Coffee in Kenya
Though coffee growing had a relatively late start in Kenya, the industry has gained and maintained a impressive reputation. Since the start of production, Kenyan coffee has been recognized for its high-quality, meticulous preparation and exquisite flavors. Our in-country sister company, Sucafina Kenya, works with farmers across the country to ensure these exceptional coffees gain the accolades they deserve.
Today, more than 600,000 smallholders farming fewer than 5 acres compose 99% of the coffee farming population of Kenya. Their farms cover more than 75% of total coffee growing land and produce nearly 70% of the country’s coffee. These farmers are organized into hundreds of Farmer Cooperative Societies (FCS), all of which operate at least one factory. The remainder of annual production is grown and processed by small, medium and large land estates. Most of the larger estates have their own washing stations.
Most Kenyan coffees are fully washed and dried on raised beds. The country still upholds its reputation for high quality and attention to detail at its many washing stations. The best factories employ stringent sorting practices at cherry intake, and many of them have had the same management staff in place for years.