Hundred House Coffee: Kenya, Yara Estate, AB, Washed

This exceptional AB lot was produced at the Yara Estate. The land surrounding the Kiambu Region is blessed with deep red volcanic soils, rich in organic matter and perfect for coffee farming.

Situated to the South of Mt. Kenya, the Yara Estate was established by a British settler in 1902. The first coffee crop was planted in 1930 and in 1971 Gatatha Farmers Co. Ltd was formed by local residents, who today manage the Estate.

Processing at the Yara Estate adheres to stringent quality-driven methods. All coffee cherries are handpicked and delivered to the mill the same day, where they undergo meticulous sorting. Once the coffee has been pulped, beans are fully washed using clean river water to remove all traces of mucilage, during which time it will be graded before drying and secondary sorting.

Some of the issues that farmers face are low production due to pests, diseases and climate and the relatively high cost of inputs compared to income from coffee. Yara Estate is one of many farms feeling the strain of these factors. As profit continues to diminish, it is highly likely that Yara will be another fantastic coffee estate lost to the real-estate developers, encroaching from the outskirts of Nairobi.