Yirgacheffe Gedeb Chelichele Gr. 1 Fully Washed

We already know that coffee transcends national and international boundaries, and Worka Chelichele washing station demonstrates just that. Administratively, Gedeb is in the Gedeo Zone, but when it comes to coffee, climate and soil don’t always align with political borders. This coffee is often called “Yirgacheffe” because, in terms of profile, coffees grown in this area are siblings to those grown in Yirgacheffe. 

Around 400 smallholder farmers deliver cherry to the Worka Chelichele station, where meticulous processing and dedication result in an exceptional coffee. Most coffees grown in Gedeb are local landrace varieties, often referred to as Ethiopian heirloom. Additionally, some varieties in the region were developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC), a key institution in Ethiopia. JARC has played a vital role in developing disease-resistant, high-yielding varieties that continue to deliver outstanding quality in the cup. And this washed lot embodies all the unique characteristics of this remarkable region, with floral notes, raspberry, chocolate, and citrus.

Farming methods in the region remain largely traditional. Farmers typically intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops, a common practice among smallholders that maximizes land use and provides food for their families. 

In addition to being traditionally intercropped, most farms are also organic by default. Farmers in this region typically use very few—if any—fertilizers or pesticides. Most farm work is done manually by the immediate family. 

To capitalize on the region’s ideal climate, Worka Chelichele provides training to help farmers produce better-quality cherry. The training focuses on proper harvesting and transportation procedures. 

Farmers selectively handpick cherry and deliver it to the Worka Chelichele washing station. At the station, employees hand-sort incoming cherry to remove any under- or overripe or damaged cherry. The cherry is soaked to remove floaters, then pulped and fermented for 72 hours. To improve the fermentation process, workers change the water every 24 hours and ensure that the average temperature remains stable between 18.5 and 20.5°C. 

After fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and transferred to some of the station’s 360 raised drying beds, where it dries for approximately 21 days until reaching the ideal moisture content. Each drying bed is marked with a code, making it easy to track traceability and processing status.   

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.

Gedeb, a district named for its largest town, in the Gedeo Zone is largely agrarian. According to a 2007 census, about 11% of the population lived in urban areas. The rest of the population lives in rural areas and are predominately subsistence farmers. 

Most farmers in the region farm on fewer than 5 hectares (many counting their coffee farms in terms of trees rather than area). Cultivation methods are largely traditional. Families typically farm small plots of land near their homes and intersperse food crops with coffee and other cash crops.  

The majority of coffees grown in Gedeb are local landrace varieties (which are often also called Ethiopian heirloom). Other varieties frequently grown in the region are those developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC). JARC is an important research center for Ethiopia and has done a great deal of work on developing disease-resistant and high-yielding varieties that still demonstrate high cup quality.