About This Coffee
Smallholder farmers cultivate local landraces and JARC varieties at the towering altitudes of 1,960+ meters above sea level in Dumerso, Yirgacheffe. In this region, coffee accounts for over 90% of total income for local families, making it vital that farmers receive fair prices and coffee is carefully processed to add value.
Sisters Hirut and Mahder Berhanu have over 20 years of experience in coffee production. They acquired Dumerso washing station in 2010. The station has been built in 1998 but hadn’t operated in years. Hirut and Mahder reopened Dumerso in 2013 and has been producing value-added coffees ever since.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Farmers selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and deliver it to Dumerso washing station. At intake, cherry is inspected and then pulped on the station’s disc pulper. Coffee is fermented for 36 to 48 hours and then washed in clean water. Parchment is laid on raised beds to dry. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. They also cover parchment during the hottest part of the day and overnight, to prevent condensation. It takes approximately 7 to 10 days for parchment to dry.
Ethiopia Grade 1
Grades in Ethiopia depend on visual inspection for defects and on cup quality. Grade 1 is considered the highest quality coffee. Grade 1 and 2 are considered specialty coffee, grades 3-9 are classified as commercial coffee. Grade 1 is free of cup faults and taints and has zero quakers.
Coffee in Ethiopia
While Ethiopia is famous as coffee’s birthplace, today it remains a specialty coffee industry darling for its incredible variety of flavors. While full traceability has been difficult in recent history, new regulations have made direct purchasing possible. We’re partnering directly with farmers to help them produce top quality specialty lots that are now completely traceable, adding value for farmers and roasters, alike.
The exceptional quality of Ethiopian coffee is due to a combination of factors. The genetic diversity of coffee varieties means that we find a diversity of flavor, even between (or within) farms with similar growing conditions and processing. In addition to varieties, processing methods also contribute to end quality. The final key ingredients for excellent coffee in Ethiopia are the producing traditions that have created the genetic diversity, processing infrastructure and great coffee we enjoy today.
Most producers in Ethiopia are smallholders, and the majority continue to cultivate coffee using traditional methods. As a result, most coffee is grown with no chemical fertilizer or pesticide use. Coffee is almost entirely cultivated, harvested and dried using manual systems.