Single Origin Fairtrade
Kenya AA Nyeri Othaya Co-op, GrainPro
FLAVOR: Red Currant, Orange, Chocolate
Kenya AA Nyeri Othaya Co-op
To the south of Mt. Kenya, along the foothills that roll well below its majestic peak, lie the regions where some of our favorite coffees in all of Kenya are grown and processed. These lands are fertile with vibrant volcanic red clay soils, enriched by a network of freshwater streams. Nyeri is especially well known for producing coffees of outstanding quality. This Hallmark Kenyan is sourced from family-owned farms associated with the Othaya Co-op.
| PRODUCER | Othaya Co-op Small-Holder Farmers |
| REGION | Mt. Kenya, Kenya |
| HARVEST | Oct '21 - Jan '21 |
| ARRIVAL | Dec '21 - March '22 |
| PROCESS | Fully Washed & dried on raised beds |
| VARIETY | SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 |
| ELEVATION | 1,900 - 2,200 masl |
| PACKAGING | GrainPro / Ecotact |
Othaya Co-op was established in 1956 as a coffee marketing society with an initial membership of 250 farmers. Today membership has swelled to about 15,000 smallholders farmers organized around the Society’s 19 wet mills (factories). The Co-op is one of the largest farmer-owned co-operative in Kenya with over 1.2 million coffee trees. Farmers are classified by agro- ecological zones defined by elevation, climate and coffee cultivar crop. By so doing, coffees in higher elevation are processed separately from lower elevation ones to maintain quality and origination.
To improve pricing and gain greater control over quality, members financed a dry milling plant in Gatuyaini, less than a kilometer from the Co-op's main offices. New sample roasting machines and cupping equipment allow the two in-house quality graders to cup samples of every lot delivered during the harvest season. The Co-op took it a step further by installing a 20 kilo roaster to roast coffee for the local market and improve earnings for its members.
Othaya has a long-term goal of increasing coffee production through farmer training on sustainable farming practices. The Society has 150 Farmer Field Schools (FFS) which advises farmers on fertilizer use and traceability best practices. For their efforts, the Society received the Fair Trade certification in 2012.