Ethiopia’s Illubabor Zone is one of the country’s most fertile and least exploited regions. It boasts a total area of approximately 16,555 square kilometers. It’s also home to a warm temperate climate, atypical of conditions in the rest of the country, with a mean average temperature of 20.7° C and rainfall in excess of 1800 mm per annum. The undulating topography of the landscape, which ranges between 1400 and 2100 metres above sea level, combined with the climatic conditions, is characterised by steep-sided river valleys and flat, waterlogged valley bottoms.
The washing station was established in 2015 on 1.5 hectares of land. They currently process a total annual volume between 300–400 tons of clean green coffee. They meticulously wash, pulp, ferment and dry their coffees, leading to a superb final product. After processing the coffee is stored safely to preserve the quality of parchment until it is moved to the dry mill. Fully dry parchment is packed in bags and either moved to the parchment store or bulked in conditioning bins.
To maintain traceability along with quality, they’re careful about lot separation. They collect coffee cherry alongside supplier name, original location, and quantity and keep thorough records as the coffee moves through processing.
Most farms have access to dirt roads, so at harvest time producers transport bags of cherry by motorcycle, horse, or donkey to the nearest collection center. These bags then travel by truck to a central collection center. In general, transport between farms and collection centers is relatively simple. The producers intercrop their coffee with native trees of the area like the false banana tree to shade and fertilize their fields.
The majority of producers here belong to the Oromo culture and speak Oromo dialects. The traditions of their native culture are still very present in producers’ daily life. Life in Illubabor can be idyllic in some ways, but equally complicated in others. Since many farms are remote, access to clean water, electricity, and school for children is a constant challenge. That means children from the most distant farms often start working from a very young age. Opportunities are very few in the area, but migrating to other cities is not a great option for young people in the area due to the large education gaps between their region and the city. Many young people decide to stay on their parents' farms or buy neighboring farms and continue dedicating themselves to coffee for the rest of their lives.
Recommendation:
Resting time - 3-4 weeks
Filter Brew ratio 1:16-1:17
Temperature: 92-95c
