Thom Bargen
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Gatina Washing Station sits a few kilometers outside the town of Karatina in Nyeri County. The station was built in 1968, nestled between the western slopes of Mt. Kenya and the eastern slopes of the Aberdares mountains. It is managed by Mugaga Farmersâ Cooperative Society. Today, the station receives cherry from 790 members. Of those, 280âover 30%âare women! The 790 members of Gatina station cultivate a total of 142 hectares. This breaks down to about a tenth of a hectareâor a few hundred treesâper farmer. Such small coffee âgardensâ makes it possible, vital even, to focus on specialty processing and increase the value per kilogram of cherry picked. Farm labor is usually entirely provided by family members, which can often make maintaining specialty cultivation and picking practices easier. Many of the farmers also grow tea, maize and legumes to consume or sell at local markets for additional cash income.
Dried Date
Plum
Lemongrass
Clove
Type
Single Origin
Origin
Karatina, Kenya
Species
Arabica
Varieties
Ruiru 11, SL-28, SL-34, Batain
Process
Washed
Altitude
1800-2050m
Producer
Mugaga Farmersâ Cooperative Society