| Country | |
|---|---|
| Continent | |
| Region | Western Rift Valley |
| Community Name | Little Swamps Estate |
| Processing Method | |
| Arrival Date | September 2025 |
| Cupping Notes Upon Arrival | 87, kiwi, mango, papaya, peach, raspberry, rose |
| Elevation | 2277 |
| Varietals | Batian |
| Fresh Filter | Freshest Arrivals |
| Moisture | 10.50% |
| Density | 791 g/L |
Little Swamps may be one of the most memorable names for a coffee estate, but what makes it notable is Doris Tuiyott’s quiet discipline and vision. She acquired the 45-acre parcel in 2019, carved from a larger block, and began planting Batian seedlings at 2,200 meters with the Cherangani Hills rising behind. The land, once depleted by wheat and barley, was brought back to life through irrigation drawn from nutrient-rich swamp water, careful soil work to lower acidity, and steady organic inputs—10 kilograms of manure per tree each year. Today, only 13 acres are under cultivation, leaving room for growth.
Doris’s approach is as personal as it is technical. She is a deliberate leader who works closely with Philemon, her equally reserved farm manager, and she builds loyalty through generosity rather than demand. Early on, when she needed help establishing the farm, she engaged women in the community, providing not only wages but also seedlings, shoes, books, and childcare so they could start coffee plots of their own. Her washed process reflects the same thoroughness: cherries are floated and soaked overnight before pulping, triple-washed with fresh water, and then shade-dried before moving to raised beds.
Visitors sometimes tease Doris about the care she puts into every detail, asking whether she tells her trees bedtime stories. She meets the joke with steady eye contact and a quiet reply: “When you talk to the plant,” she says, “it smiles back at you.”
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