Kenya AB Ndunduri #028

The roaster's story:

The Ndunduri coffee farm is located at 1600 m asl, near Mount Kenya, and was established in the early 1970s. The farm is well-managed and supported by farmers and staff, and it is common to see other crops grown alongside the coffee, such as passion fruits, maize, beans, and tea. However, farmers are closely monitored by a field committee to ensure that intercropping does not negatively impact coffee crops.

The farm receives assistance from the Coffee Management Services (CMS) organization, which provides farmers with training programs, seminars on good agricultural practices, and access to farm inputs. Farmers also receive a sustainable farming handbook that is updated and distributed annually, and they can access pre-financing to pay for school fees and farm inputs. The factory manager at Ndunduri is retrained annually by CMS, and various field days are held by the Minister of Agriculture and agrochemical companies that deliver inputs to the farmers. Demonstration plots are also planted at the factory to reinforce the best practices taught throughout the year.

After the coffee cherries are hand-picked, they are brought to the factory for processing using the wet processing method, which involves removing the skin and pulp from the cherries. The coffee is fermented overnight, cleaned, soaked, and spread out on raised drying tables, which takes 7 to 15 days to dry.