About This Coffee
Ademasu Lole is an independent farmer and processor based in the Tulese kebele (village) of Yirgacheffe Woreda (district), within Ethiopia’s Gedeo Zone in the south. His farm spans 11.44 hectares and rests at 2,085 meters above sea level. For many years, Ademasu prepared coffee and sold it only to the local market. After new export directives allowed smallholders to export directly, he shifted to producing specialty coffee so he could access international buyers, and he eventually began exporting his own coffee.
Ademasu has focused on specialty processing, refining his post-harvest methods and expanding from Natural processing to include Fully washed coffees – a rarity among farmers in his area. To manage both, he operates two licensed sites: his own farm for Natural drying and a washing station operated under his wife’s name for Fully washed coffees. The washing station has been operational for six years, located at a high altitude in an area well-known for excellent coffee quality.
As part of the Lalisaa project, Ademasu receives comprehensive agronomy support from Sucafina Ethiopia. Through farmer training sessions, he learns new techniques in cultivation, harvesting and processing. His commitment to producing high-quality coffee and exporting it through the Lalisaa project helps him access better markets and increase his earnings. The Lalisaa project is designed to empower smallholder farmers by shortening the supply chain, improving quality and increasing yields.
Cultivation
Ademasu grows local landrace varieties and uses both his own farm and surrounding farmers for sourcing. The area’s mild temperatures, abundant rainfall and rich soil create ideal conditions for cultivating local landrace varieties known for their complexity and sweetness.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Ademasu’s Natural lots are processed and dried entirely on his own farm. Cherries are selectively handpicked and sorted to remove underripes, overripes and foreign matter and laid on raised drying beds for 25–30 days, depending on temperature. During drying, cherries are turned regularly to ensure even airflow and prevent overfermentation.
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.