The Machare Farm lies 4,500 feet up on the slopes of snow-capped Kilimanjaro, and is owned by the local village cooperatives. Machare has been leased and rehabilitated by people with a passion for fine gourmet coffee and the preservation of Kilimanjaro’s unique environment.

Owned by a cooperative, but leased, revived, developed and managed, this farm employs many of the cooperative members throughout the year, and a number of other non cooperative farmers during the harvest. The farm has reduced water usage by over 90%; uses biofuel for machinery; preserves the habitat through shade-grown coffee; minimises the use of chemicals; and has created a tree project to maintain eco-balance of Kilimanjaro.

Shade-grown coffee comes from premium bourbon plants cultivated at altitude, in rich volcanic soil and fed by clear glacial water.

**All images from Creative Commons. Specific Authors: John Pavelka.