Farm Profile

This Fairtrade certified Kenya AA coffee boasts a nectarine-like acidity balanced with a creamy caramel finish. Our single origin coffee is produced by small-holder farmers of the Karatina wet mill in Nyeri County, Kenya. Built in 1987, Karatina is one of three wet mills ( Karindundu, Gatomboya and Gaturiri ) that form the Barichu co-operative, one of the largest co-ops in Kenya with about 5,800 members. Member farms average about 300 coffee trees on their one hectare plots, on which they also grow maize, bananas and macadamia trees. These plots are located in the Kenya highlands between the eastern base of the Aberdare Range and Mt. Kenya, a region rich in volcanic soil and blessed with strategic rainfall. Here, the coffee beans develop a classic Kenyan flavor profile that is balanced in fruitiness and acidity.

Members deliver their selectively hand-picked ripe cherries daily to the collection station where they are meticulously hand sorted. Focused on quality, ripe cherries are de-pulped using a four disc pulper and double fermented with periods of intermittent washing and soaking using fresh water from the Ragati river. 

Barichu is committed to sustainability and encourages its members to plant shade trees, recycle pulp as organic fertilizer and plant grass to conserve soil. The co-op has a dedicated team of agronomists who educate and supports its members.  A model for other co-op's, Barichu members receive 95% of their coffees' price versus the industry's 82%, along with credit for farm inputs, school fees, and medial emergencies. 

• Producer: Barichu Small-holder Farmers

• Region: Nyeri County . Kenya

• Varietal: Bourbon [ SL 28 . SL 34, Ruiru 11 ]

• Altitude: 1,700 - 1,850 meters

• Soil:  Volcanic Loam

• Process: Fully-Washed | Dried on Raised-Beds