Please note, this listing is for GREEN/UNROASTED coffee. Roasted coffee is at the top of the website.
Mustefa (pictured above, center) is one of the key success stories of our partner Falcon working in Ethiopia, and a perfect illustration of how a relatively small amount of money and training can go miles in the right hands. By collaborating with Falcon's team, Mustefa has been able to significantly increase both his quality and yield as well as that of his community, boosting everyone's livelihoods along the way. We're honoured to support his endeavors by offering this lot, a crisp and delicious classic Ethiopian washed with notes of green grape, lemon, and bergamot.
You can read a bit more Mustefa's journey below:
Mustefa Abakeno, a dedicated smallholder farmer in the Jimma Zone of Western Ethiopia, manages an extensive 18-hectare farm located at an elevation of 2,040 meters above sea level. His farm is a testament to the rich coffee heritage of Ethiopia, featuring a diverse array of coffee varieties sourced from the esteemed Jimma Research Center.
In 2018, Mustefa embarked on his journey as an exporter, benefiting from regulatory changes that allowed him to engage directly with discerning buyers. To facilitate this endeavor, he established the Beshasha wet mill, a versatile facility processing both his coffee and that of local outgrowers. These outgrowers, Mustefa's neighbors, collectively oversee land parcels ranging from 4 to 10 hectares.
Mustefa's partnership with the Falcon team in Addis Ababa exemplifies the potential for enhancing coffee quality through direct relationships. This collaboration spans various facets of coffee production, encompassing cherry selection, drying, and farm management. It also streamlines the supply chain, ensuring that a significant portion of the proceeds directly benefits the producers.
In 2021, the addition of agronomist Harun to the Falcon team marked a pivotal moment. Harun's primary focus during the most recent harvest season has been training and supporting Mustefa and his neighbours who supply cherries to the washing station. Harun's efforts have led to numerous improvements at the washing station, including the installation of shade netting to protect drying beds during the hottest hours of the day. Cherry selection at the delivery point, tagging day lots for separation, and vigilant monitoring of moisture levels during drying ensure uniform drying before lot assembly. Harun has also been leading a stumping trial with Mustefa on his farm and six of his neighbours' farms.
Mustefa himself maintains a small field lab, equipped with a high-spec Sinar moisture reader acquired in 2020. This device ensures that all parchment dried in the stations reaches a consistent moisture level before storage. Harun takes charge of assessing and grading dried day lots, categorizing them based on quality and cupping profile. In parallel, he imparts training in good agricultural practices (GAP) to local farmers, elevating the quality and productivity of their coffee gardens.
Notably, Mustefa's commitment to excellence extends to infrastructure development. He has constructed a modern warehouse in Agaro, impeccably equipped for milling Natural processed coffees. This investment underscores his dedication to refining and enhancing coffee cherry processing to meet the highest standards.
In a significant move during the 2022 off-season, Mustefa acquired four additional purchasing sites: Echamo, Jarso, Badeyi, and Saadi. These sites serve as crucial collection points, where cherries are meticulously selected and purchased from neighbouring farmers. The cherries procured at these sites are subsequently transported to the two main processing stations, Beshasha and Kabira, where Mustefa's exacting standards and coffee processing expertise are consistently applied. This strategic expansion not only fortifies Mustefa's capacity to source exceptional coffee cherries but also reinforces his role as a catalyst for community development within his region.
To process this lot, the coffee was floated to remove underripe cherry, pulped, and then fermented in tanks for 8-12 hours. Next, it was washed and cleaned in channels to remove the parchment. After that, the coffee was shade-dried and any defective beans removed while still at 50% moisture. Drying continued a further 7-10 days during the warmest parts of day until the ideal moisture level was reached.
Elevation: 2000-2100 MASL
Varietal: 74110, 74112
Cup score: 86.5
Price paid per kg: £8.80
Process: Washed
