About This Coffee
Edwin specializes in Natural lots, using a drying methodology he developed himself through collaboration with other farmers on social media. He prides himself in drinking his own coffee every morning, which he roasts on an Ikawa sample roaster.
Cultivation
Nyaega Kiyaka Farm is planted with a variety of coffee varieties, which Edwin cares for with diligence. In addition to some SL-28 (released by Scott Agricultural Laboratories (SAL) in the 1930s and 1940s), Edwin also grows Batian and Ruiru 11 on the farm.
Edwin receives regular training in Good Agricultural Practices from our team at Kahawa Bora, including fertilizer application, pruning guidance and renovation advice, which helps him to keep his small farm in optimal condition.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked and laid in very thin layers on raised beds to dry for 18 to 24 days. During this time, the cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying.
Natural coffees are becoming increasingly available from Kenya. In the past, they were considered a by-product of a selection process geared towards quality. Called ‘mbuni’, these coffees were traditionally composed of damaged and underripe cherries that are ‘rejected’ during the wet milling process. This is changing rapidly as the market for high quality natural coffees grows.
About Kisii
Kisii County lies in Southwestern Kenya, in the Nyanza Region, not far from the Tanzanian border. Coffee was introduced in parts of Kisii in the early 1930s, and it was one of the first areas of Kenya where smallholder farmers were encouraged to begin planting coffee on their small landholdings. Due to a number of factors, however, it wasn’t until the 1960s that coffee began to be more widely cultivated as a cash crop.
Today, Kisii is a less well-known coffee-growing region, but it holds great potential for the future.
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.