Kenya Coffee School — Programme: Coffee Agronomy, Extension & Regenerative Inputs

Overview (both levels)

Purpose: Equip smallholder farmers, extension officers, agripreneurs and farm technicians with practical agronomy, extension techniques and the skills to produce regenerative/restorative farm inputs (compost, vermicompost, microbial inoculants, fermented foliar feeds), improve on-farm soil health, climate resilience and farm profitability.

Delivery mode: blended (classroom theory + hands-on farm practicals + field visits + demonstration plots). Include farmer field schools and peer-learning practicums.

Certificate in Coffee Agronomy & Regenerative Inputs (KCS-CERT-CAI)

Duration: 3 months (approx.)
Total contact hours: 180 (120 theory + 60 practical / farm-based)
Entry requirement: Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) mean grade D (or equivalent) or relevant work experience.

Structure — 8 units

  1. KCS-CAI101 — Introduction to Coffee Botany & Varieties (20 hrs)
    • Theory 12 hrs / Practical 8 hrs
    • Description: Coffee species, varieties (Arabica vs Robusta), phenology, growth habit and varietal choice for Kenyan conditions.
    • Outcomes: Identify species/varieties; advise on variety selection for microclimates.
    • Assessment: MCQ + practical plant ID test.
  2. KCS-CAI102 — Soil Health Basics for Coffee (25 hrs)
    • Theory 16 / Practical 9
    • Description: Soil texture, structure, pH, basic soil testing, interpreting test results.
    • Outcomes: Conduct simple soil tests, interpret pH, recommend lime/organic amendments.
    • Assessment: Soil test practical + short report.
  3. KCS-CAI103 — Regenerative Soil Management & Composting (30 hrs)
    • Theory 18 / Practical 12
    • Description: Composting methods, feedstock selection, compost thermodynamics, quality checks, on-farm compost production plan.
    • Outcomes: Build & manage a 1-m³ compost bay; test maturity; prepare compost plan.
    • Assessment: Practical build + compost quality logbook.
  4. KCS-CAI104 — Vermicompost & Biofertilisers Production (30 hrs)
    • Theory 18 / Practical 12
    • Description: Vermiculture set-up, worm species, vermicast harvesting; liquid biofertiliser (bokashi/fermented manures), small-scale microbial inoculants basics.
    • Outcomes: Produce 50 kg vermicast batch; prepare 20 L fermented foliar feed.
    • Assessment: Practical batch production + demonstration.
  5. KCS-CAI105 — Integrated Pest & Disease Management (IPDM) for Coffee (20 hrs)
    • Theory 14 / Practical 6
    • Description: Pests & diseases of Kenyan coffee (CBD, white stem borer, berry borer, rust), monitoring, threshold-based action, botanicals & biocontrols.
    • Outcomes: Use traps, scouting, apply botanical sprays and cultural controls.
    • Assessment: Field scouting practical + case study.
  6. KCS-CAI106 — Climate Smart Practices & Water Management (20 hrs)
    • Theory 12 / Practical 8
    • Description: Mulching, micro-catchment, rainwater harvesting, shade management, drought mitigation and climate-smart cropping.
    • Outcomes: Design simple water-harvesting structure and shade plan.
    • Assessment: Practical design sketch + oral defense.
  7. KCS-CAI107 — Farmer Extension Methods & Communication (20 hrs)
    • Theory 14 / Practical 6
    • Description: Farmer field schools, demonstration plots, participatory extension, basic training-of-trainers skills, record-keeping.
    • Outcomes: Run a 2-session farmer demo and prepare an extension leaflet.
    • Assessment: Delivery of a short demo session + materials.
  8. KCS-CAI108 — On-farm Inputs Business & Recordkeeping (15 hrs)
    • Theory 10 / Practical 5
    • Description: Small enterprise planning for inputs production and sale, costing, simple bookkeeping, packaging & labeling basics.
    • Outcomes: Produce a one-page business plan and costing for a small inputs enterprise.
    • Assessment: Business plan + costing spreadsheet.

Assessment summary: Practical demonstrations (40%), written assignments & quizzes (30%), final practical project (30%).

Diploma in Coffee Agronomy, Extension & Regenerative Inputs (KCS-DIP-CAI)

Duration: 9–12 months (approx.)
Total contact hours: 720 (480 theory + 240 practical)
Entry requirement: KCSE C- (or equivalent) or Certificate in related field and work experience.

Structure — 14 modules (unit codes, contact hours and short description)

Core agronomy & plant science

  1. KCS-CAI201 — Advanced Coffee Physiology & Breeding (45 hrs)
    • Growth stages, flowering biology, crop modelling, basics of varietal selection & participatory varietal selection trials.
  2. KCS-CAI202 — Soil Science & Advanced Soil Fertility Management (60 hrs)
    • Soil chemistry, nutrient cycles, targeted fertility plans, liming, secondary & micronutrients, fertilizer response curves.
  3. KCS-CAI203 — Regenerative Practices: Agroforestry & Shade Systems (45 hrs)
    • Designing shade tree systems, nitrogen-fixing species, multipurpose trees, shade economics and biodiversity benefits.

Regenerative inputs production & microbiology

  1. KCS-CAI204 — Compost Science & Large-Scale Compost Operations (60 hrs)
    • C:N balancing, windrow & in-vessel systems, quality assurance, pathogen reduction, SOPs for scaled production.
  2. KCS-CAI205 — Vermiculture & Scale Vermicompost Production (45 hrs)
    • Species selection, bedding/feeding regimes, scaling, marketing vermicast and compliance.
  3. KCS-CAI206 — Microbial Inoculants & Biofertiliser Technology (60 hrs)
    • Beneficial microbes (Rhizobia, mycorrhizae, azospirillum), isolation basics, formulation principles, quality control and safe handling.
  4. KCS-CAI207 — Fermentation-based Inputs & Liquid Fertilisers (30 hrs)
    • Bokashi, EM (effective microorganisms), fermented plant extracts, production and dose recommendations.

Crop protection & post-harvest

  1. KCS-CAI208 — Integrated Pest & Disease Management (Advanced) (60 hrs)
    • Epidemiology, forecasting, biological control agents, pesticide stewardship, resistance management.
  2. KCS-CAI209 — Post-Harvest Handling, Drying & Quality (45 hrs)
    • Cherry handling, pulping, fermentation control, drying principles, grading, and quality impact of farm practices.

Extension, management & sustainability

  1. KCS-CAI210 — Extension Systems & Participatory Methods (45 hrs)
    • Designing FFS cycles, adult learning, digital extension tools, gender-sensitive approaches.
  2. KCS-CAI211 — Monitoring, Evaluation & Farm Advisory Systems (45 hrs)
    • Indicators, simple M&E systems, extension KPIs, digital recordkeeping, farmer dashboards.
  3. KCS-CAI212 — Climate Smart Coffee Production & Carbon Farming (45 hrs)
    • Carbon sequestration practices, measurement basics, climate finance opportunity mapping, adaptation planning.
  4. KCS-CAI213 — Farm Business Management & Value Chain Linkages (45 hrs)
    • Cost of production modeling, pricing, direct trade / local roaster linkages, cooperatives, certification basics (organic, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade).
  5. KCS-CAI214 — Research Methods, Innovation & Project (Capstone) (60 hrs)
    • Small research project or enterprise pilot: students design, implement & report a field experiment or inputs business pilot (includes 30 hrs supervised farm practice).

Practical components & field visits (embedded across modules):

  • Minimum 240 practical hours: setting up demo plots, producing a full compost & vermicast batch, preparing 100 L of fermented input, pest scouting logs, 4 supervised farm visits (peer farms + extension demos), and 2 factory/post-harvest visits.

Assessment summary: Continuous assessment and logs (40%), written exams & case studies (30%), capstone project/pilot & viva (30%).

Learning Outcomes (Programme level)

Graduates will be able to:

  • Produce, test and manage on-farm compost, vermicast and liquid bio-inputs appropriate for coffee systems.
  • Diagnose common soil fertility issues and prepare corrective, regenerative plans for small-scale coffee farms.
  • Design and implement a farmer field school session and use participatory extension methods to scale adoption.
  • Implement IPDM strategies and select low-risk biological controls and botanicals.
  • Prepare basic business plans for on-farm inputs enterprises and link farmers to value chain actors.

Practical & Assessment Tools

  • Farm logbooks (soil tests, input production logs, pest scouting).
  • Demonstration plots for variety and shade trials.
  • Starter kits: compost thermometers, pH test kits, refractometer (brix), simple soil kits.
  • Capstone (Diploma): 3–6 month on-farm pilot (e.g., set up vermicompost enterprise producing X kg/month + sales linkage).
  • Assessment rubrics for practical skills (safety, SOP adherence, quality of outputs).

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Don’t miss out on the Kenya Coffee School (K.C.S) Barista & Specialty Coffee Tips & Special Offers / News!

Read our privacy policy for more info.
Call : 0707503647 or 0704375390