| Country | |
|---|---|
| Continent | |
| Region | Agaro, Limu Kossa |
| Community Name | Kossa Geshe Outgrowers |
| Processing Method | |
| Arrival Date | August 2021 |
| Cupping Notes Upon Arrival | 86.5 – Big bright lemon lime, chocolate, peanut butter, Strawberry, vanilla |
| Elevation | 1800 MASL |
| Varietals | Heirloom |
| Fresh Filter | Current Crop 4-12 Months |
Kossa Geshe is located in Western Ethiopia’s Limmu Kossa District, in the highlands of the Kebena Forest. The estate’s outgrower program collects fresh cherry from 13 neighboring farms within a 4-5km radius from the estate. Of these 13, 2 are owned by women and 5 are a little larger than 10 hectares each, making them rather large for smallholder farms.
This 1,000 hectare estate and many of its neighboring farmers were established in 2009 through land grants from Ethiopia’s investment agency to safeguard some of the last remaining dense forest in the country.
At the estate where all outgrower coffee is collected as fresh cherry, dried and stored, Abdul runs the show. His first harvest was 2016 and Crop to Cup has bought every bean since, entranced by his qualities and the cup characteristics from day one. The story of Kossa Geshe is one of meteoric rise. In 2016 he began running the farm and two years later his coffee won a Good Food Award – one of the first coffees out of the west to earn the distinction and to truly compete with the excellent naturals coming from Southern Ethiopias Sidamo and Yirgacheffe regions. Abdul continues to reinvest. From a new moisture meter, to a new 7500 m sq drying patio (to go with raised beds) completed in 2018.
It goes without saying that quality is continually on his mind. Crop to Cup doesn’t normally work with estates, but Abdul has been an exception, especially because of the support he provides to his outgower neighbors.
So, we’ve got quality and a few other things on our mind when we visit with Abdul. In 2017 we conducted a full social audit with him and came back with quite a few recommendations. The very next year, we come to find that he’s built a school on the farm for children before they go to 1st grade. He’s built new toilets for the workers, 8 meters deep. In addition, he’s implemented a ledger system for employees and their wages – a form of transparency that needed to be completed. Abdul is a man of action. It’s been a pleasure to see such a quick metamorphosis from a new producer and we’re annually excited to welcome his coffees to the U.S.
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