Tiko Coffee Collective is a group of 48 small holder coffee farmers from the highlands of Northern Malawi. Each member of Tiko grows roughly 90 kg of green (unroasted) coffee each year. That’s about 180 coffee trees per member, which takes up about half an acre and is considered a “micro lot”. Coffee trees are planted alongside other crops like bananas, avocados, mangoes, macadamia, tomatoes and bird’s eye chillies.

Coffee trees are harvested throughout July, August and October. After coffee cherries are picked they are either laid straight out to dry on raised drying beds or brought to MF Washing station where Lyson and the team weigh, grade and dry them.