Editorial illustration🇹🇿Tanzania
Tanzania
Blackburn Estate
Michael & Tina Gehrken
Dark Woods Coffee
Blackburn Estate
Field Blend· Washed
Explore the profile →This is an editorial research profile, not a first-person interview or independently conducted farm visit. Check the research sources below for supporting evidence.
Farmer profile
🇹🇿Tanzania
Michael & Tina Gehrken
Michael and Tina Gehrken are the proprietors of Blackburn Estate, a coffee farm located in the Ngorongoro region of Tanzania. They are recognized for their long-standing commitment to producing high-quality coffee while maintaining ecologically-sound farming practices.
Farm: Blackburn Estate →History
Michael Gehrken first visited East Africa in 1971 and later relocated to Tanzania in 1983 to take over his family's farm, which was then overgrown and abandoned. Following the liberalization of the Tanzanian coffee market in the late 1980s, he began the process of restoring the estate and developing its coffee production capabilities.
Published coffees linked to Michael & Tina Gehrken
A producer may be listed for one explicitly documented component of a blend, not the entire coffee. These catalog relationships do not independently verify every lot or harvest. Check the individual coffee profiles and original research sources.
Editorial illustrationResearch sources & verification
These source links were recorded for this producer profile. They provide a way to check the documented claims; the links do not independently establish each person's identity, current farm relationship or coffee lot.
Research last reviewed: 2026-10-09