Wolichu Wacha Guji Natural

Wolichu Wacha washing station was built in 2017 by the Harso Haru Mude Farmer Cooperative. Many washing stations in Guji and across Ethiopia are older and were established in the 1980s or 1990s. Wolichu Wacha has been able to benefit from 30+ years of accumulated knowledge about washing stations in Ethiopia.  

The way this knowledge impacted the station can be seen in many ways, but one way that’s immediately apparent is the station’s layout. By positioning intake at the top of a small incline and placing subsequent processing steps further and further down the hill, the station can take advantage of gravity and increase its overall efficiency. At the bottom of the hill, the spacious and well-organized drying field gets even, predictable sunlight. Thanks to their layout, the station does not need the pumps that many older stations use to move coffee through the processing infrastructure. 

Wolichu Wacha is equipped with sorting tables and floating tanks that are key to monitoring cherry quality at intake. Here, the role of the cherry clerk, who must ensure that only the ripest cherry is processed, is of paramount importance.  

Once accepted, cherry is cleaned in fresh water. After cleaning, workers transfer cherry straight to the drying field.  They spread the cherries in a single layer. During the first few days, cherry is carefully turned every 30 minutes to ensure evening drying. This is also when workers remove any damaged cherry. After a few days, cherry is adjusted so that it sits in a slightly thicker layer, which helps slow the drying process. 

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.