Girma Eshetu Estate – East A 2019 Organic

Description

In 2013, when we began working in Ethiopia we quickly decided to focus our work in Ethiopia’s west, namely, the Jimma and Keffa zones. You can find Girma in Keffa, about a 4 hour drive from Jimma, followed by a few hours on horseback. The farm covers 200+ Organic and Utz certified hectares in Bita Genet District, high in the hills above a small village – Amecha Mechata, and is planted with Jimma research varietals 74110 and 74112. In February of 2016, we coordinated Girma’s first ever export and we picked up 150 bags of Washed and 140 bags of Natural coffee. By April, we were booking the rest of his harvest (120 bags of washed coffees), and have bought his every bean ever since. Subsequent harvests have gone on to win Good Food Awards, drawing Girma to the center of Keffa’s emerging specialty scene.

Girma’s personal history is way more interesting than his coffee. Girma was the first of his family to graduate from college and he put his engineering degree to work at the St. George Brewery – an institution for Ethiopian beer drinkers. Over a 30 year career, Girma rose to management, and pursued his advanced degree. Moonlighting, Mr. Girma began to manufacture equipment – and his first success as a small mechanical coffee pulper – stamped G.E.M – Girma Eshetu Manufacturings. As his manufacturing business grew so did his knowledge of coffee. On one trip to Ethiopia’s west (where metals are mined), Girma discovered that his father’s side of the family was from the area – the area being Keffa Zone, near Bonga.

Turns out that, in some cases, the government of Ethiopia awards land to those who pass away in service to the state. This is what happened when Girma’s father passed away, after which Grima’s mother moved him to the new land far away in the South. She never spoke of where they were from, increasing Girma’s surprise and desire to reconnect with his roots upon discovering distant family.