In Zambia, Kachipapa Farm is a 350-hectare family-run coffee farm just outside of Serenje.

At an altitude of 1,450 meters above sea level, coffee is grown in deep, red sandy soil that provides high levels of nutrients, as well as good drainage. All the coffee is under irrigation, so it has sufficient water throughout the dry periods.

The climate in Serenje normally includes one wet season (November through April) and one dry season (May through October). The hottest months are September and October, and the average rainfall is around 1,200 mm per annum.

Kachipapa includes 40 hectares of mature, coffee-producing trees and 20 hectares of young coffee trees that are expected to produce in two years' time. The coffee trees are intercropped with macadamia trees, and both are actively mulched using the natural grass and anything that is pruned off the trees. The mulch helps to retain moisture in the soil by slowing down evaporation — essential during the hot summer months.

One of the main responsibilities at Kachipapa Farm is to improve the quality of life of the staff and local community. To date, 25 new homes have been built for the permanent farm employees, with a new, recently installed clean water-piping system that provides clean water to the community. The farm has also been able to fund a salary for the local school teacher as well as provide medical assistance and malaria prevention to the surrounding communities.

Processing

This coffee was fully washed and dried.

On Kachipapa, harvesting is performed entirely by hand and done selectively, when cherries are at their peak maturity. The picked fruit is then sorted by hand, to remove any under- or over-ripe cherries, and pulped. The coffee is sun dried until it reaches the ideal moisture level, and the dried parchment is then sent for dry milling and grading.

Cupping notes: Berries, stone fruit, florals; high citric acidity, juicy body.