Kerehaklu Estate

The story

Kerehaklu, which translates to 'shelter by the lake,' is a 275-acre estate in Chikmagalur that has been producing coffee since 1953. The farm is currently managed by the father-son duo Ajoy and Pranoy Thipaiah, who represent the third and fourth generations of the family to farm the land.

Challenges

One documented challenge for the farm is the early ripening of certain coffee varieties, which results in a very short window between flowering and the harvest of red cherries.

Innovations

The farm focuses on post-harvest innovation by utilizing native microflora cultured from the estate's own soil, flora, and cherry pulp to ferment coffee, an approach inspired by sourdough starters.