About this Coffee
The Ndundu washing station includes 600 members and is part of the Thiririka Farmers Cooperative Society (FCS), the largest cooperative in Kiambu County and oldest, most established producer group in Kenya. “Ndundu” is derived from the nearby flowing Thiririka river, and is a local kikuyu word for “agreement”, representative of the community centric approach to coffee farming. Thiririka FCS also includes two other factories, or washing stations, Kiganjo, and Githembe. Due to its geographical location and highly motivated farmers the Thiririka FCS recognized they have a huge potential for yielding exceptional higher quality coffees. As a result, in 2019, the coop enacted a project aimed to improve their services to the members as well as the coffee quality produced.
Over the past two years, the cooperative has committed to improving the infrastructure of each washing station, undergoing a major renovation project to do so. New tiling in the channels along with more robust washing tanks have been installed to increase the effectiveness of washing and fermentation of the coffee. During this time, the cooperative onboarded 3 agronomists to train farmers helping to increase productivity and quality in just the first two years. Additionally permanent drying beds will be installed to promote efficiency in the drying process and reduce repair and maintenance costs for the cooperative.
Not only do these improvements aid in enhancing coffee quality but also in the livelihood of the farmers whose income is significantly increased, giving them the opportunity to improve their living conditions. The project also includes renovations of the local elementary school to attend to necessary repairs, add a library, and repair the rainwater collection and treatment system.
This special lot comes to us fully washed and starts with harvest. Once harvested, coffee is delivered by the farmers to Ndundu, where the cherries are handpicked for any defects. They are then pulped and fermented in tanks with the remaining parchment for 8 hours overnight. The next morning, parchment is removed by washing and separated. The coffee is then sun dried on raised beds for 9-15 days. The fully washed processing of this coffee in combination with growing conditions in nutrient rich volcanic soil, give us a very juicy and vibrant cup that the region of Kiambu is known for, and we’re excited to be able to share that with you.