Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/853621
Skin drying is what Kenyans call the fi rst stage on the drying tables, post-washing. Usually the coffee is laid in a thicker layer than in the fi - nal stages, and turned frequently in direct sunlight. But when the hot sun hits the soaking wet and fragile parchment at this stage, it cracks, shrinking around the swollen bean. However, if you keep the bean covered in shade throughout the fi rst day or two, the bean will rapidly shrink in size, pulling away from the parchment, allowing the parchment to dry a bit more slowly, keeping it intact to do its job of protecting the bean. This is a method that we employ elsewhere, but it's new to our Kenyan partners. Therefore, we offered to pay for the materials if they did the construction. I had arrived six months earlier than they expected, but they had already erected the structure. They were obviously taking it very seriously. Here's why that matters: Even though we paid a high price for their coffee, we only bought their heaviest, most dense coffees, as separated in their density channels. While typically that would represent 70–80 percent of a mill's outturn, it has only been 50 percent of theirs. The remainder is either damaged, or has so little density that it actually fl oats on water, later getting sold for instant coffee and the like. This is caused by malnutrition, drought, and/or general poor hus- bandry. That means that they get a high price for only half of their cof- fee while the rest brings a pittance. That of course drags the average price per kilogram way down, making the farmer think that either the society is doing a poor job marketing, or that we as buyers simply aren't paying enough. When the average price per kilogram is low, the farmers are tempted to take their coffee elsewhere, and that's what was happening at Githiru. It's a downward spiral—or a vicious cycle? Snake eating its tail? I'll get back to you on the appropriate metaphor. But we saw an opportunity. It was clear to the members that they could benefi t from some guidance. Four Barrel hired Nyeri business advisor and agronomist Mr. Muhuro to help. Muhuro has worked with Technoserve in the past (the NGO with whom we worked so closely in Ethiopia), and has a great understanding of the farmers' perspective, as well as the big picture of the society. He confi rmed a suspicion of mine: Suggesting Githiru go the path of certifi ed organic would be easier than in most other situations. One, they're willing. Two, they're a single-factory society, which makes things easier and keeps costs down. And three, because of their somewhat mismanaged husbandry, their plants are probably already less dependent on agrochemical inputs, and won't need much if any weaning from artifi cial fertilizers. Bringing high-quality organic coffee farming back to Kenya has always been a dream of ours. Hopefully, this will be a win-win. At any rate, it's worth a shot. DAY THREE Kagumo is a coffee that we've bought at auction in the past. In fact, it may be the only coffee we've bought at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange. Talking with Phyllis last year, we learned that her father is an active member there! We asked to spend a little more time with them this time around and see if they'd be a good fi t. We wanted to meet up with the chairmen of each of the four factories that belonged to the Aguthi Society: Kagumo, Gaaki, Gititu, and Thageini. We started off at Kagumo, which from my understand- ing was the very fi rst wet mill constructed in Nyeri, in 1954. It has largely remained unchanged, from buildings to even many of the drying beds. Kagumo means "a source," and it is just that—a source of many things. Schools, the hospital, and many other facilities are right around the mill. I think the name refers to the Kagumo river, from which the water is diverted for washing the coffee, right before it drops into a 40-foot waterfall. 45 www.baristamagazine.com