Description
Most Ethiopian coffee is not traceable down to the farmer. It is mill blends and different sorting chops. This rare example is traceable to a single producer, which helps ensure the sustainability practices & gets rid of a large middleman industry between buyers and producers.
The Small Farmer Project is the result of an effort to support Ethiopian producers with a marketplace for farm-traceable coffees. This project is made possible in conjunction with Lulo Coffees, an Ethiopian export and coffee development company dedicated to connecting small producers with buyers.
Natural coffees are typically delivered the day they are harvested, and are first sorted for ripeness and quality before being rinsed clean of dirt. Then they are spread on raised drying beds or tables, where they will be rotated constantly throughout the course of drying. Drying can take an average of 8–25 days, depending on the weather.
Mrs. Tigest Wako was born and raised in Idedo. Her husband, Mr. Abraham, is a pastor in Idedo town and also works in coffee as a supplier. Mrs. Wako inherited her family’s 7.6 hectares farm from her parents. When she inherited the farm, it used to have old varieties of coffees such as Kurume and Dega. Now most of those old varieties have been replaced by new varieties such as 74110 and 74112. One reason her coffees stand out is due to their location. Mrs. Wako’s farm is located in Idedo within the Gedeo zone. This zone is home to the Yirgacheffe town and the Yirgacheffe coffee type. Idedo is one of the two localities that produce the top Yirgacheffe type coffees.
Mrs. Wako is one of the few female landowners in her locality. In the Gedeo’s tradition (an ethnic group where she is from), land inheritance usually goes to male children. Also, the Gedeo zone is one of the most densely populated areas in Africa with average farmland ranging around a hectare. Her 7.6 ha farm makes her one of the few farmers with that size of farm.
As a woman farm owner, she faces challenges from managing daily operations to handling the bureaucratic side of the business. She is a strong respectable woman and is fortunate to have the support of her husband and family. It’s her and her husband’s wish that all of their children can follow their dreams through education.
Tasting Notes: Fantastic example of an Ethiopian Natural. Keep this one light to medium roasted. Too dark and the awesome crisp and clean fruit/floral notes disappear. A mellow cup on the sweeter side with nice darker fruit tones popping right out. The cool natural tones balance with a tea like spice note, a sign of its roots, Yirgs are known for their more tea like dark tones. Many would call it a chocolaty undertone with a jazzy spice note but we like the tea reference and most will agree. A bit more delicate of a cup with a little lower acidity. Depending on what you like this can be a real perk, fruity and sweet without risking high acidity or overly sour tones at the lighter roast points. A little easy to roast out the fruitiness, so don’t let it get too dark!
Roasting Notes: Natural processed with good prep on it, a fairly easy bean to roast. A bit higher chaff and one will notice a little two toned roasting but being tasty from light to dark, should not be a problem getting a tasty cup. Recommend starting at a nice medium roast, if you don’t like acidic and floral, error a little darker, if you love fruity floral, error a little lighter. A little longer setup really smooths out the cup, can be a little more extreme 1-2 days after roasting.
awesomeadams (verified owner) –
I took this about 45 seconds into first crack with a Behmor1600+ and removed beans immediately. Excellent results. Hints of chocolate, nut, and a touch of caramel but almost like a mild tea. I really enjoy this for my morning cup, and it makes a decent iced coffee in the afternoon as well.