Another great trip to Kenya, to see the amazing system from the small cooperative farmer, to the factory (what they call a coffe mill), to the dry mill and preparing coffee for export. There is no other coffee origin with a system like this, including the Nairobi Coffee Auction that markets small lots based on cup quality, where the best coffees get the best price. Add to that the recent reforms that guarantee 80% of the sale price minus costs gets into the hands of the farmer, and you have a fantastic system to help buyers discover the best qualities. Again, Kenya is a place I just can't take my finger off the shutter, and nothing gets me going like photos of ripe coffee cherry. We came to see the harvest and take photographs, and that we did. It was just my 2nd trip to this place, and the first for my travel pal, little Jeremy Tooker of 4 barrel coffee. I think we sorted out some details, visited a ton of factories, saw a lot of harvest and a lot of cherry being sorted (one of many small details that makes for such high quality in Kenya coffees). Some nice images are buried in here, and a few just get by. There are some mediocre ones that are from my GPS device, and have accurate geotags. Thanks for looking! -Tom
Kenya - Is this SHOOT real? I don't know, but welcome to Kenya.
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Kenya - A view of Nairobi from the Coffee Auction sample room
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Kenya - First Stop, Dorman cuping lab. GPS tagged images
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Kenya - Early Kenya auction samples, too early for good main harvest really. Jeremy Tooker and Jeremy Block in the back.
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Kenya - Entrance to KPCU and the auction - must have been some Ethiopia influence here.
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Kenya - The bidding bard at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange
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Kenya - All the excitement yu can handle - Nairobi coffee auction
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Kenya - Nairobi Coffee Auction -GPS tagged images
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Kenya - A wide ange view of the auction room.
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Kenya - Past presidents and chairmen, including C. Dorman, and Jeremy Block
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Kenya - Computerized pong-like sound effects added in 1998
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Kenya - Next week's auction all lined up in paper bags
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Kenya - Lower grade samples on display
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Kenya - Washed higher grade sample next to lower grade Mbuni natural sample
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Kenya - A worker pulls samples for a exporter
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Kenya - A little DOF experiment ith the sample bags
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Kenya - Oaklands and Kwega samples, from 2 lower grown areas we don't often buy from.
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Kenya - A listing of the coffee marketers bringing lots for sale in this particular week.
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Kenya - Watch out for Killah Beez', I guess.... check out the nice decorative shovel there. What the heck is that for?
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Kenya - Frackass Poetic Justice!
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Kenya - Local market in the median of the road in Nairobi
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Kenya - Typical Nairobi over signage
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Kenya - Near Kiambu, another overloaded and overturned truck
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Kenya - Thika coffee and mixed agriculture
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Kenya - Typical Thika landscape, where Gethumbwini is located
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Kenya - Coke truck off the road... Thika
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Kenya - Hardware, cellphone, Joy Butchery Bar
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Kenya - Lovely Bovine Wormicide sign
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Kenya - Reaity Shop: Can you handle it???
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Kenya - One place I have never stayed, the Hotel Starbucks. I am told it is pretty bad, actually.
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Kenya - When it is on a 40 x 30 foot billboard it is quite mighty indeed! Entering Karatina town, Nyeri
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Kenya - Everything you need in one place, Karatina, Nyeri
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Kenya - Once again, my favorite sign in Karatina, Nyeri
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Kenya - To Be Or To Be - Out Of Choice?
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Kenya - Quality Coffee, Quality Price, Quality Life, CKCM mill in Nyeri
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Kenya - CKCM Coffee Mill in Nyeri, GPS tagged images
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Kenya - Don't even think about it, Junior.
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Kenya - Pinhalense is used because it has big barrels, or as a backup roaster.
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Kenya - Main roaster at CKCM is a beautiful 5 barrel Probat.
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Kenya - Ernest Njuguna, cupper at CKCM
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Kenya - Portable cupping lab
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Kenya - Portable cupping lab 2
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Kenya - I need this sign for my lab!
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