This washed lot is produced at the Chelbesa One Washing Station in the Gedeb Zone, Ethiopia (Chelbesa is the “kebele”), and managed by SNAP Specialty Coffee. The approximately 1,000 farmers that deliver cherry to this washing station, come from the surrounding region and have between 2 and 3 Ha of land sitting at an elevation of between 1,950 – 2,200 m.a.s.l.
Once the cherries arrive at the Chelbesa One Washing Station, they are placed in water for sorting and the removal of floaters. The cherries are then de-pulped and left to dry ferment in tanks for 2-3 days, to be later washed and placed to dry on raised beds. To ensure an even drying, the parchment is constantly moved each day, taking 7-10 days, depending on the weather, until reaching the desired humidity. This lot consists of the Ethiopian Heirloom varieties Kurume and Wolisho.
Founded in Addis Ababa by Negusse in 2008, SNAP operates 7 washing stations in key coffee-producing areas like Sidama, Yirgacheffe, and the Guji Zone. SNAP focuses its operation on three fundamental pillars – Consistency, Education, and Sustainability. It is within their purpose to improve the livelihood of supporting farmers, and last year their team of agronomists trained more than 6,000 farmers in land and nursery managemen, and climate-smart agriculture through crop diversification and intercropping.
