About This Coffee
Nuns traditionally operate businesses to generate funds to sustain themselves. In Kenya, many convents were set up on coffee farms and today, some, including the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi, continue to cultivate coffee on their land.
The sisters manage the farm and do much of the work themselves. They hire labor during the harvest and technical projects that require expertise. During especially successful years, the sisters use surplus funds to carryout charity projects in their community.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
After selective handpicking, cherry is pulped and dry fermented to 16 to 18 hours. Then, parchment is washed in clean water and transferred to raised beds where it dries for 10 to 21 days.
AA Grade
Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AA beans are the largest size. AA grade coffees are those that are 17/18 screen size, meaning that they are larger than 7.2 millimeters.
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.