TRACEABILITY Nestled on the border between the picturesque coffee regions of Nyeri and Kirinyaga, Kenya, the Kiagundu factory is a bustling hub for 600 smallholder farmers who tend an average of 180 coffee trees each, predominantly cultivating the iconic SL-28 and SL-34 varieties that define Kenya's rich coffee tradition. Facing the growing challenges of climate change, these farmers have embraced shade-grown farming, increasingly planting macadamia and avocado trees alongside their coffee, while beans, yams, cassava, and corn round out the diverse agricultural landscape surrounding the factory. Kiagundu is managed by the Mutira Farmer Cooperative Society, a collective of over 4,000 members that also oversees neighboring factories including Kagumo, Mutitu, and Karii, reflecting a strong spirit of unity among local farmers. Established in 1984, the factory sits roughly 70 miles from Nairobi and just a mile and a half from the charming town of Kerugoya. The Rundu River sustains the processing operations, where ripe cherries are meticulously de-pulped using an Aagard disc pulper before being carefully dried to just under 12% moisture — a process that captures the bright, complex character home roasters love in Kenyan specialty coffee.