8 COKO Cooperative
The TWONGEREKAWA-COKO agricultural cooperative was established in 2009 at COKO, the GAKENKE district of northern Rwanda and started its washing station in 2013. The altitude of the farm is the 1,700-2,200m above sea level, and the soils are volcanic, schist and sandstone. The annual rainfall is about 1,200mm.
Sustainable Harvest (Environmental NGO, USA) has helped the cooperative in cultivation and production. In addition, the cooperative conducts five levels of grading (A1,A2,B1,B2,C), more than other washing stations for coffee refinement. The beans of the Arabica Bourbon class are completely washed and dried in the African bed under severe quality control. Stimulating sweetness, mandarin orange, lemon, tea, bouillon, and peach are characteristics of its taste.
In 2008, the Cup of Excellence (COE) was held in Africa for the first time, in Rwanda, and Coko CWS won 2nd place. In 2013, they won first place in the International Cupping Society competition held in Norway.
We at Green Pastures, began the import of Rwandan coffee beans in 2013 from this COKO washing station by the support of the Rwandan Embassy in Japan.
9 Dukunde Kawa-Nkara
The Dukunde Kawa Musasa cooperative’s mission is to improve the wellbeing of coffee farmers through coffee processing and sell the best quality coffee to the international market. To achieve this mission, the cooperative has expanded its processing capacity to the Nkara area with high potential to sustain coffee quality and preserve its flavors.
Nkara Coffee Washing Station (CWS) is one of their three washing stations, operating since 2008. The cherries produced in 27.63 hectares of land are certified with the Rain Forest Alliance, UTZ and C.A.F.E. Practices certifications.
The altitude of the farm is about 1,186m – 2,100m above sea level and the CWS is at an altitude of about 2,100m. The beans are sorted out on long tables prior to de-pulping, then to a machine that sort them by density prior to processing. The coffee cherries go through a series of coffee de-pulping, grading by density through machine, water and by hands to ensure that the highest possible coffee quality is retained. Nkara CWS uses an 18 hours of dry fermentation and then the coffee is washed, de-pulped and pass through a series of canals that allow lighter, less delicious coffee beans to pass through, while retaining the heavy, sweeter beans that are sun dried up to 12% relative humidity. The coffee is taken to the cooperative's dry mill located at Ruli before being exported.
Harvest is from March to October and processing from April to October. The soil is fertile loamy texture and the temperature is stable at about 17-18 degrees Celsius.
The annual rainfall is about 1,200-1,300mm.
Coffee trees are planted 2*2 meters apart and approximately 2,500 trees are planted in one hectare. About 250 trees are cultivated by one farming household.
The Nkara area is located between hills intertwined like fingers which provide cooler weather conditions throughout the season. This is essential for heavy juicy beans that produce the unique flavors in a cup. The Dukunde Kawa cooperative secures a high standard of living for its farmers through fair trade and also realizes a sustainable coffee industry.
10 ubmuwe
(Beans of Funky 48hrs)
Ubumwe CWS is the one of four coffee washing stations of Bufcoffee owned by its founder, Epiphanie Mukashyaka. It sits at 1,650 metres above sea level in the Gacurabwenge sector of Kamonyi District, in Rwanda’s Southern Province. To reach this cws from Kigali is mostly like 20 minutes without any traveling constraints.
This coffee Ubumwe funky 48 hrs is natural processing method as follows:
After harvesting, the cherries collected from the coffee farmers surrounding Ubumwe CWS, all cherries are raised to sorting tables and then the season workers sort and select the ripe red coffee cherries. After sorting, the cherries are laid out in an extra shade nets and lynx; we use pure water of 20 litters to 200kgs of the selected ripe red coffee cherries and then we ferment that coffee in shade nets and lynx.
Periodically, the cherries are tested to ensure that they do not over ferment according to the need of funky coffee beans to be processed for 48 hours. After this regulated stage of 48 hours, the beans are moved from fermentation package. At this phase, the beans will sun-dry for exactly on a wire-mesh bed until it reaches at range of 10 to 11,5% humidity. When the sun become heavy, we cover these coffees in order to avoid them to be scratched by the sun.
The final step will then be taking the dry beans to the milling process at Kamonyi Dry Mill not late 30 days.
11 umrage cws
Umurage is one of the regions of Rwanda’s Southern Province Huye District, Kigoma sector, Karambi cell and Gasura.
This coffee is collected from 463 farmers/ producers around the coffee washing stations. After collecting together the cherries were processed at Umurage CWS. This lot was uniquely recorded based on the region of origin, and date.
Growing Altitude (m) is between 1800 and 2000, Avg. Annual Rainfall (mm) is 1300, and most of soil is Soil Type is Sand and clay soil. About Coffee processing is wet where we are used to sorting cherries Any unripe, damaged, overripe coffee is sorted and we remain with well ripe cherries only. Flotation tank are used to ensure that all diseases, immature, and damaged beans are separated from the good cherries (with great density). Mucilage removal is done through dry fermentation and intermediate washing. This coffee was sun dried on African beds and the lots separated per day, region, and coffee grade. All production and storage data, for each lot, recorded and well kept. After being milled under our Ubumwe dry mill, the coffee was packed Grain pro and jute bags.
Harvest time of Crop: from February to June,
Processed time: From March to July
The quality control of farms and CWS under the BUF Coffee management is first-rate. Only ripe cherries are hand picked and categories and pulped the same night. They are separated by weight into three grades, fermented for 12 – 18 hours and graded again. Furthermore they are soaked in water tanks for 24 hours. Beans are dried under a roof for six hours and while still damp, defect beans still remaining are removed again. The beans are finally sorted and dried under the sun for about two weeks (depending on the weather). When their humidity level reached about 11%, they are carried to the dry mill in Kigali where they are cupped and evaluated by the Q grader.
BUF Coffee beans are ready for export only after severe quality control and select screening.
12 SANTA FE DE LAS NARANJAS (PERU)
Santa Fe De Las Narajas: Coffee farm
Supplier：ROMEX
Owner：FERNANDES LILI Family
Location：Cajamarca, Jaen, PERU
Farm：San Jose
Coffee Growing area in farm: 4 hectares of specialty coffee growing area
Harvest: Main harvest from June to September
Altitude (Above sea level) : 1,700 mts (5,557 feet )
Type of Soil: Sandy,-loam soil riched in nutrients which is great for coffee growing
Coffee variety: Red and yellow caturra variety
Annual production: 2,500kg per year in green beans
SCAA scope: 85.0
Cup profile: Aroma: Cocoa and honey
Taste: Chocolate and dried fruits,
Residual Flavor,: Sweet,
Acidity: Citrus (orange),
Body, high medium and creamy,
Sweetness* Caramel
In the lush mountains of Northest Jaén, Perú you will find Santa Fe’s Coffee Plantation which lead by Lili Fernandez who is a 4th generation quality-focused coffee farmer whose family has been growing coffee in the region of Santa Fe de las Naranjas for over 100 years.
Since taking over the farm from his grandfather in 2015, Lili and his husband have followed in tradition’s footsteps whilst forging their own path as specialty coffee producers.
They have reached to connect the ancestral knowledge with the modern techniques regarding washed coffee process.
In addition to cultivating exceptional coffee and experimenting with different processing techniques, Lili and his husband have developed a business of wildlife tourism.
Currently, they can offer to their customers rooms and typical food and futher they can show to their visitors their coffee plantation as a result they lead by example in the way that they take care of the environment and pride themselves on being able to provide jobs and education to their coffee-growing community.
Selective Harvest
First step: Free of immature grains overripe, fallen from the ground
Second step: Rest in cherry: 12 hours
Third step : Overfilled in a vat tank with water (we avoid floating grains, cherry trees with problems in the formation of almonds)
Pulping and fermentation: 20 hours in a Grainpro bag.
Washing: clean water.
Drying : It takes 20 days under roof ( sun drying)
