Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
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Thageini, on the other hand, pumps their water from the fast-fl ow- ing Gura river, nearly 2 kilometers away. The factory has independent- ly hired their own agronomist, and realized excellent returns on that investment. The coffee not only improved in the ratio of the higher grades, but in the volume, as well. They maintain this practice with an incredibly well manicured example farm on the property. The example farm hosts courses on farming techniques like pruning, open to all active members. All in all, I felt good about the time the leadership board of Aguthi and I spent together. They look to have plenty of early crop coffee to offer, and they promised that they'll give it the same care they give their main harvests. DAY FOUR Sunday. I never ask folks here to work on Sunday, so for me it was safari day. Only, I really had too much work and rest to catch up on, so I just went out for a short walk in the morning and drank some "elephant's milk" in the forest—which is what they've named coffee— with brandy. It hit the spot. I had a few. Sig bev inspiration, anyone? I spent the rest of the day working with a view of a watering hole, with the glorious Mount Kenya on the horizon. DAY FIVE Bright and squirrelly, we headed back to Nyeri to meet up with the fi ne folks from the considerable Othaya Cooperative Society, to whom the factories Gura and Kamoini (among many others) belong. Othaya is the last remnant of the glory days of the large society structure, back when co-ops used to own buildings, hotels, and restaurants, before they all split up in the 1980s. For some, that was a good move; for many, it wasn't. Othaya stayed intact, and they still have 17 wet mills. (Most societies include three or four.) They own their own dry mill, quality-control lab, and wholesale coffee-roasting division. The chair-holders rarely get voted out, and many of them stick around anyhow when they do, and they all seem like one giant family. They told me that they were doing repairs on most of the mills, but were considering major overhauls on a few. They asked me for any feedback or suggestions. Well, you guys all know how shy I am with that stuff. [Editor's note: Jeremy can be somewhat sarcastic.] I really don't think they knew what they were in for, but they were as excited to talk processing as I was. They wanted to see pictures of every possibility, and thanks to modern technology, I was happy to oblige. We viewed and discussed the modifi cations we've spearheaded in Ethiopia, the stacked tables of Colombia, the new shaded method that all of our Nicaraguan coffees are dried under, and even the outdated concrete drying patios we still encounter in Guatemala. They wanted to know the pros and cons of each, and contributed a few great suggestions of their own. After about two hours of a coffee-processing nerd fest, we piled into my 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser (love these trucks) and hit the road. We started with our current relationships of Gura and Kamoini, who were doing repairs and getting ready for the new harvest. After that, we went to Kiruna and Ichamama, who were doing the same. So far, so good. But Phyllis and the chairmen had saved their best for last. We headed to their Gatugi wet mill, which in many ways was one of the best-planned sites I've ever seen. They had large terraces cut into the hillside, so that all of their drying tables were fl at, accessible, and ergonomic, and they had cows mowing the grass, keeping things tidy. They were constructing a brand-new and well-made "bin shed" (where 46 barista magazine