About This Coffee
Admasu Duke comes from a lineage of coffee farmers. He inherited his farm from his father in 2000 and has been focused on high-quality production ever since. Today, Admasu and his five brothers continue the family tradition of quality-oriented cultivation and each tend to their own inherited plots. On the farm, as in life, Admasu works alongside his wife, Mihret Alemu.
Looking ahead, Admasu envisions an ambitious future for his farm. His plans revolve around maximizing yield and direct trade, with a focus on expanding the size of his farm and planting more coffee varieties. By increasing the scale of his operations and diversifying the coffee varieties he cultivates, Admasu aims to enhance the productivity and versatility of his farm. This forward-thinking approach demonstrates his entrepreneurial spirit and his determination to continually improve and adapt to meet the demands of the coffee industry.
Admasu's vision for the future of his farm reflects his unwavering dedication to his craft and his commitment to providing exceptional coffee. With his sustainable practices, generational expertise, and bold aspirations, Admasu is poised to carve a path of success and growth for his farm, ensuring a prosperous future for himself and the generations to come.
Cultivation
Admasu understands the importance of nurturing the land for future generations and embraces sustainable agricultural methods as a way to achieve this goal. Admasu takes great pride in maintaining an organic farming approach and using no fertilizers or pesticides on his land. As part of his regenerative farming practices, Admasu actively engages in activities including mulching, pruning, composting and planting shade trees. These practices, honed through participation in the Lalissa Farmer Field School, contribute to the overall health and resilience of his farm ecosystem.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Since the farm is small, most work is done by Admasu and Mihret. During the harvest, they hire seasonal laborers from the local community to help with selective handpicking. They process cherry on their farm. After selective handpicking, they lay ripe, red cherry on raised beds to dry. They rake cherry frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 3 to 4 weeks for cherry to dry.
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.