We are excited to partner with this rare certified-organic Kenyan farm. The Muiri Estate has been certified organic since 2008, and comprises 179 hectares of land, 87 of which are for coffee. The owners have been fertilizing with organic material—a rareity of its own in Kenya! The farm was previously known as Kihoto (1969–1975), and was changed in 1976 to Muiri Coffee Estate, named after an African tree species called "pruners" (or muiri in the Kikuyu language).
This is a farm developed with coffee plantations, a wet mill, borehole, a large dam, stores, and labor cottages. There are about 110,000 coffee trees comprising SL-28, SL-34, and K7; with over 46,000 trees of Ruiru 11 interplanted in some of the blocks—156,000 coffee trees in total.The farm has over 200 different species of other trees, as well, which were planted between the years 2000–2002. (Gravellier, approx. 25,000 trees; eucalyptus, appox. 40,000; silver oak approx. 8,000; neem approx. 1,000; and 20,000 of different species—about 94,000 trees in total.)
Wet processing. Timely and selective hand picking is carried out at the wet mill. Cherry is delivered to the wet mill the same day it is picked. Cherry sorting is carried out at the wet mill prior to the depulping. Red ripe cherry are separated from underipes, overipes, and foreign matter. Processing here utilizes clean water (wet processing) that is recirculated before disposal into seepage pits. Sun-drying is done before delivery of the coffee to the dry mill for secondary processing.
To help farm workers and their families, we have allocated land to over 1,000 families for cultivation of beans. We are looking forward to developing this lot's fullest potential in the coming years.
