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The Story:
Kenya borders Ethiopia, which is known as
the birthplace of coffee, but coffee was not grown in Kenya
until approximately 120 years ago, when it was introduced
by Scottish missionaries.
Bourbon is a natural mutation of the arabica
coffee species that was first discovered on the island of
Reunion (then Bourbon) in the Indian Ocean off the coast
of Madagascar in the late 18th century. Since the plant
was more disease-resistant and bore more fruit than other
varieties growing on the island, farmers replaced other
varieties there with Bourbon, and gradually spread the seeds
to other coffee growing areas of the world, including Kenya,
where it was brought for local cultivation by the Fathers
of the Holy Spirit congregation.
French Mission is an original Bourbon that
was introduced by French Missionaries in the late 1800's.
Most coffee currently grown in Kenya is Bourbon hybrids
SL28 and SL34, which were developed by Scott Laboratories
in the 1950's.
A.I.R. Harries and Son Ltd is a family owned
and operated concern with two estates in Kenya - Chania
Estate and Oreti Estate. They arrived in Thika in 1904 and
are now in their fifth generation of growing coffee.
Chania Estate is located on the slopes of
the Aberdare Mountain range, and it one of the few large
areas of French Mission Coffee remaining in Kenya. They
have just over 100 acres of this variety, and it is among
their original plantings of coffee - some bushes were planted
prior to 1926. Over time many other farms have planted newer
varieties and discarded the French Mission in favour of
more productive or hardy varieties.
The Harries have donated more than 50 acres
of land to the Thika Municipal Council and co-founded the
Wabeni Technical Institute, which strives to teach underpriviliged
children practical skills that help them make a living.
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