[FILTER] KENYA RURIMA ESTATE AB - WASHED SL28, SL34, RUIRU 11, BATIAN

PRODUCED BY LUCY WANJA NDOGO & FAMILY

EMBU, KENYA

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YELLOW NECTARINE, APPLE BLOSSOM, CITRUS
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ABOUT LUCY WANJA NDOGO, HER FAMILY AND RURIMA ESTATE.

The family-owned Rurima Estate (named after Lucy's grandfather) is a 15-hectare coffee farm and wet mill (or factory, as they are known in Kenya), located in Embu County. The factory is shared by a family collective made up immediate siblings, siblings-in-law and first cousins, totalling about 10 members. Each member owns and manages their own shamba (Swahili for farm), where they independently grow and harvest their coffee crops. To guarantee streamlined operations, Rurima is overseen by a management committee of five siblings, led by Lucy Wanja Ndogo and including her siblings, Pamela Muthoni, Jim Muturi, Morton Ndwiga and Patrick Njue.

The property sits between 1,720 – 1,800 meters above sea level in Embu County, in the foothills of the extinct volcano, Mt. Kenya, close to the town of Manyatta and the Kapingazi river. The area is defined by its bright red, nutrient-rich, volcanic soil and a cool climate, both of which contribute to the outstanding quality of the coffees produced in the region.

While most smallholder farmers in Kenya rely on a shared processing factory, Lucy's family are fortunate enough to have their own factory, enabling them to control every step of their production directly. 

HOW THIS COFFEE WAS PROCESSED.

The coffee was carefully handpicked by Lucy’s family members, along with any seasonal workers required. During the peak of the harvest, cherries were carefully picked, to ensure only the ripest are selected. After sorting, cherry was pulped using a pulping machine, which removes the skin and mucilage (sticky fruit covering) from the inner parchment layer that protects the green coffee bean.