Shakisso Farm

Farm

Shakisso

Region:
Guji ,Ethiopia 

Varieties: Mixed Heirloom
Altitude: 1800 m
Certifications: Organic, Rainforest Alliance
Processes: Washed, Naturalv

Common cupping notes:

Floral ,Blue Berries ,Vanilla 

Producer:

Haile Gebre

Haile’s story

Coffee is Haile’s enemy and his friend. At the age of 10, Haile Gebre and his family flee their home near Yirgacheffe because feudal lords claim the land to produce coffee on a large scale. Although he is a son of a coffee smallholder, he feels betrayed by the bean. It took years for Haile to turn his childhood enemy into a dear friend.


After a fleeting three month stay at the University of Addis Ababa in his twenties, Haile joins the navy in 1972. His superiors find Haile to be a smart and cunning recruit, so they assign him to the engineering and navigation division. But for Haile, this role comes without challenge, so he returns to the University.

Ye Genet

Farm

Ye Genet

Region:
Ye Genet, Ethiopia

Washing station:
Ye Genet

Varieties:Mixed Heirloom
Altitude:1950 – 2250 m
Processes: Natural
Certifications: Non-Certified

Common cupping notes:

Lemon ,Rose hips ,Orange

About Tsegaye Hagos

Tsegaye Hagos was born in the Atsbi Wonberta woreda, between the famous rock-hewn churches of Tigray. Tigray, one of Ethiopia’s nine states, is found in the North dry and scorched lands that border Eritrea. The majority of Tigrayans are Orthodox Christian and have built their lives around religious concepts, like strict fasting, for instance. Tsegaye still considers these Northern areas as home.

Tsegaye, born in 1959, loses his parents at a young age. His older brothers and sisters take care of Tsegaye. Together, they practically raise him. Coffee has an important role in Tsegaye’s early life. The young Tigrayen even thinks about working in coffee; although the North is not suitable for quality coffee. At age 18, Tsegaye immigrates to Sudan because the political situation in Ethiopia is unstable. Like many youths in that time, he flees to a neighboring country and searches for a better future.

After 15 years in Sudan, Tsegaye returns to his birth grounds. He is involved in the import business of vehicles from the U.A.E. But the love for coffee never strays far from his mind. In 1996, a group of people start a joint venture that supplies the local market with coffee. Tsegaye joins the venture and starts his coffee career; a dream come true. However, Tsegaye is ambitious and interested in starting his own coffee company. After visiting Guji, he considers striking down in the Kercha District, Guji zone. Kercha is an area that borders Gedeo’s fruitful woreda ‘Gedeb’. Just 10 years after joining the venture, Tsgaye opens his own washing station in Kercha; Sasaba. The work at Sasaba proves to be intensive and Tsegaye is in dire need of assistance. Tsegaye’s fellow Tigrayen and childhood friend Mulu Gebreyohannes joins Sasaba as the Operation Manager.


The two make Sasaba a phenomenon in Guji. The success of Sasaba paves the road for a new washing station; Ye Genet.

Suke Quto

Farm

Suke Quto

Region:
Guji, Ethiopia

Washing station:
Suke Quto

Varieties: Kurume, Welicho
Altitude:1800 – 2200 m
Processes:Washed, Natural, Pulped Natural
Certifications: Organic, Rainforest Alliance

Common cupping notes:

Floral ,Lemon ,Peach

Producer:
Tesfaye Bekele

Tesfaye’s story

Ato Tesfaye Bekele is one of the people that put Guji specialty coffee on the map. While the Guji zone was dominated by cattle farmers, he sought new ways to make coffee popular in Guji. “I don’t consider myself to be a coffee farmer, because coffee is everything to me. All my time and energy are placed into the beans that I harvest and process.” Tesfaye Bekele, the founder of Suke Quto Farm, explains.


“I come from a coffee-producing family, so during my childhood, I started to work with coffee early on”, Tesfaye continues, “At first, coffee did not have my interest. The labor was hard, and the days were long. But after several years of study and other work I returned to my home in the Shakisso woreda, Guji. I found myself in coffee again”.

Suke Quto Washing Station

At the Suke Quto Washing Station, the washed coffees are pulped with an Agared machine. This is a pulper that has no mucilage remover. The coffee beans are fermented for about 35- 48 hours (depending on the current weather) in fermentation tanks. There are three lagoons to store the wastewater. Suke’s natural coffees are dried between 9 and 15 days on elevated beds.


Tesfaye focusses on environmentally friendly coffee and on the economic growth of the community. In other words, people should get a living income from sustainable coffee production. Tesfaye also initiated a community project that aims to renew local schools. With a handful of dedicated coffee roasters, Tesfaye has built a new school building in the neighboring village Kurume.


Together with Haile Gebre, from Shakisso Farm, Tesfaye is one of the innovative forces that shaped the success of Guji coffee.

Aricha

Farm

Aricha

Region:
Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia

Washing station:
Aricha

Varieties:Kurume ,Mixed Heirloom
Altitude:1950 – 2150 m
Processes: Washed
Cupping: 87

Common cupping notes:

Floral ,Lemon ,Tangerine

Producer:

Faysel A. Yonis

The Aricha, Reko, Gersi, and Naga Singage 

There are many intricate details that make everything about coffee fascinating. Each detail is connected to another, forming an intriguing chain that affects the flavor of the bean in diverse ways. One of these details is altitude. As altitude increases, so does the time needed for the cherries to develop and ripen, and therefore, harvest time moves forward as you climb.


This is one of the reasons why the people at the Aricha washing station (Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia) process coffee from its surrounding communities as separate lots. For example, Gersi’s coffee comes in later in the harvest season.

Thiriku Cooperative

Farm

Thiriku Cooperative

Region:
Nyeri ,Kenya

Varieties: SL28
Altitude:1880 – 1970 m
Processes: Washed

Common cupping notes:

Black currant ,Black berry ,Strawberry

What the Thiriku coffee farmers receive

The farmers are to receive a standard Sh100 every season while Sh10 will be used as a cost to run operations in the factory. This amount will vary from time-based on the expenditure of the factory. We will also seek and guarantee cheap credit access for inputs and cherry advance when needed.


On the other hand, Thiriku farmers are expected to produce high-quality coffee and double farmers’ production by keenly following knowledge, skills, and experiences as directed by our local agronomist, Bernard Gichimu. This partnership is also aimed at ensuring the factory achieves a very high-quality cup with a score above 87/88 points while doubling its production in three years.

The Thiriku locals return to farming coffee

In the past, disappointed by the poor prices coffee was fetching, a majority of the farmers had started uprooting their coffee plantations and replacing them with other lucrative crops. But with our entry into the cooperative society and a promise of receiving Sh100 every season for their crop, farmers have started rehabilitating their farms and venturing back to coffee farming.
“We are appreciating this partnership because we have started seeing farmers get interested and returning to work on their farms,” added Mr. Paul Macharia. When word spread in the village where the factory is located, a lot more farmers have gotten interested in coffee farming.
According to Peter Ndirangu, the factory manager, farmers have started going back to their farms with the sole objective to produce quality coffee. “We have started receiving the early crop-this is harvested between April and July, and I can tell they are really working hard because of the size of berry we are receiving. They are bigger and denser,” he said.

Kambarare Estate

Farm

Kambarare Estate

Region:
Kirinyaga ,Kenya

Varieties: SL34, SL28
Altitude:1700 – 1950 m.

Common cupping notes:

Black tea ,Juicy ,Nutty

Producer:

Gerald Njagi

The Kambarare Estate

A shining example for Kenyan youths With Kenya’s coffee market in decline, Kambarare Estate stands as a beacon of hope. Gerald Njagi, a 28-year-old coffee farmer, is the producer who helms the small estate found on the slopes of Mount Kenya. He’s an anomaly because most farmers within Kiringyaga and the surrounding counties age 50+ or even 60+ and have no successors. This is because most youths who grow up within coffee-growing families move on to more profitable markets, like taxi driving. Although this is an ongoing trend, Gerald has hope for the future revival of coffee in his country. And he’s even keen to play a key role in promoting the industry, “I want to set standards for the Kenyan youths and show them unending possibilities in the coffee sector”, he says.

Ayla Bensa

Farm

Ayla Bensa

Region:
Sidamo, Ethiopia

Washing station:
Ayla Bensa

Varieties: Mixed Heirloom
Altitude:1950 – 2000 m.
Processes: Natural, Washed

Common cupping notes:

Orange ,Florals ,Winey

Bombe coffee and taste profile

Bombe is a high-altitude location in the Bombe mountains of Bensa district, Sidama (around 2000 m.a.s.l). This altitude plays a key role in why the Bombe coffee is so special. Very high altitudes make things difficult for the coffee tree. The colder climate slows the growth cycle, and development takes longer. Coffee harvests from higher altitudes are typically later than those at lower altitudes, even in the same vicinity. In addition, higher altitudes tend to have better water drainage, so that reduces the amount of water freely available to the coffee tree.


The result is a slowly matured cherry that is small, dense, and packed with flavor. Lastly, coffee in Bombe tends to ripen uniformly. This makes picking the cherries a simpler process because they are all perfectly ripe for picking at the same time. Together, these many factors combine to produce Bombe’s delightful flavor packed with citrusy and floral notes.

Processing at Ayla Bensa

As opposed to the high-altitude farms, Bombe coffee is processed lower down at the Ayla Bensa washing station. The washing station maintains a buying station, so farmers do not need to travel far to sell their cherries to the Ayla Bensa team. 

Once at the Ayla Bensa washing station, Bombe coffee is processed as a separate lot, kept apart from other coffees to preserve its unique flavor. The washing process starts with removing the pulp, a couple of days of fermentation in water, followed by a manual rinse, and finishes with the coffee beans drying on raised beds until the moisture content reaches desired levels.

Dimtu Tero

Farm

Dimtu Tero

Region:
Guji, Ethiopia

Varieties: Mixed Heirloom
Altitude:1808 – 2128 m 
Processes: Natural, Washed
Certifications: Organic

Common cupping notes:

Chocolate ,Cherry ,Vanilla

Producer:

Getachew Zekele

The Story of Dimtu Tero Farm


When traveling from Addis to the Dimtu Tero Farm, it takes you 1,5 days to get there. If you cross Yirgacheffe, you find the rolling hills and plains of Guji. An entirely different landscape compared to Yirgacheffe. Slightly better roads slide over hilly grassy plains suited for livestock. Although coffee takes a central part in Guji culture, it took years before the Guji people started to use coffee as a cash crop.

But in the early 2000s, the founding fathers of Guji’s rich coffee culture, Haile and Tesfaye, started to farm coffee. The young Getachew Zekele lived through the transformation and, when growing up, became part of it. Although choosing a career in coffee, Getachew grew up in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The Zekele family moved to the South because of career opportunities for Getachew’s father. A decision that would pave the way for Getachew’s work in coffee.

Getachew remembers how his parents introduced him to a coffee-loving community. “Coffee is a respected crop in the area where I came to live. The community uses coffee as food in rituals and ceremonies, and it is also used as an instrument to bless traditional leaders, Abba Gadaa.”, Getachew explains.

Dimtu Tero Farm

Dimtu Tero, otherwise known as Dimtu Plantation, is a 151-hectare semi-forest farm. You won’t notice where the farm begins or ends, because the farm is one with the forests of Guji. Getachew makes efforts to keep nature untouched. His organic coffee production gave the farm its NOP, EU, and JAS certifications. A unique feature for Ethiopian coffee farms. While taking a tour through the farm, Getachew will proudly show the 74110 and 74112 varieties. The Jimma Agricultural Research Center developed these disease-resistant cultivars in 1974.

Finca Mierisch

Farm

Finca Mierisch

Region:
Yasica Sur, Nicaragua

Procesing station:
Limoncillo
Los Placeres

Varieties:
Java, Red and Yellow Pacamara, Ethiosar, Red Catuai, Caturra, Red Bourbon.

History

Bruno Mierisch Boettiger, a German geologist, was hired to assist the Nicaraguan government in the construction of their National Railroad in the late 1800s.

Upon completion of his work, the Nicaraguan government found themselves unable to pay him, and his companion’s, salaries in full. To complete their compensation, these German immigrants were offered land in the high mountains of Matagalpa. Bruno, and many of his German colleagues, never returned home to Germany. Instead, choosing to take part in the burgeoning coffee revolution taking place in Nicaragua. Bruno’s legacy continues to live on till this day under the guidance of his great-great grandchildren.

Bruno’s farm was christened “Las Lajas” (a farm still owned and operated by our cousins) but only had lemons growing on it initially. It wasn’t until the Nicaraguan presidency was held by Jose Santos Zelaya (who’s family were coffee producers) that the Nicaraguan government started incentivizing the cultivation of coffee (with tax cuts, subsidies, etc.) In 1908, Bruno planted his first coffee tree on his farm. The rest is history.

Where Are We Today?

We are now a company run by 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation coffee producers.

Dr. Erwin R. Mierisch, 3rd generation producer, along with his wife, Maria Ligia McEwan de Mierisch, and their children Erwin Jr, Eleane, and Steve took on the mantle of responsibility for this legacy in the early 1990’s after the Nicaraguan Civil War of the 1980’s subsided. It was during this time that our operations started shifting from commercial quality coffee into the new world of Specialty Coffee.

Erwin Jr, Eleane, and Steve, the 4th generation, propelled our coffee, and Nicaraguan coffee in general, into the international spotlight. Through their involvement in organizing, judging, and participating in the Cup of Excellence program since the early to mid 2000’s, they learned all the hard work it takes to producer high caliber coffee. Their commitment to quality has not wavered since.

Today, Dr. Mierisch is still in charge of all agronomical decisions for the farms, and Eleane Mierisch serves as our General Director. Erwin III (or Wingo as he’s loving called), is the 5th generation coffee producer and can be found in our QC lab or handling Client Relations.

What is Fincas Mierisch?

Fincas Mierisch comprises 9 coffee farms in Nicaragua, and 3 coffee farms in Honduras.

In Nicaragua, the farms are located in the Matagalpa and Jinotega departments. Matagalpa is home to 6 farms, whereas Jinotega, a little bit farther north-west, is home to 3 farms . Each farm has a unique micro-climate and soil composition, which makes their management, and coffee quality, truly distinct from one another. Give them all a try, and see for yourself.

We’ve been in Honduras, our adoptive home, since the end of 2011. After Erwin Jr.’s amazing experience with Cup of Excellence Honduras 2010, he saw the incredible potential for specialty coffee cultivation in the country. After a chance encounter to purchase a farm, called Cerro Azul, Erwin Jr. jumped at the chance. Since then, we’ve expanded to two more adjecent farms: Santa Lucia and Lalita.

In Honduras, we’re strictly located near the community of Rio Blanco in the municipality of Siguatepeque, of the Comayagua department. All three farms in Honduras sit at a higher altitude than any of our farms in Nicaragua. Erwin Jr. vision and hard work paid off with a 1st Place placing in Cup of Excellence 2019 with a Washed Gesha from Santa Lucia.

Wadi Al Mahjr

Farm

Wadi Al Mahjr

Region:
Al Hayma, Yemen

Procesing station:
Al Mahjr

Varieties: Udaini
Altitude: 22500m
Processes: Natural
Cupping: 91.75

Common cupping notes:
Intense Blueberry and Raspberry combined with underlying Violet Floral Notes. Sweet and very balanced, complex winney muted acitdity, more lactic in nature and works well with a creamy, almost yoghurt like mouthfeel. It has a long-lasting finish.

Within Al Mahjr Village is Wadi Al Mahjr, it is a valler located in one of the highest coffee growing areas in Yemen. High above the clouds, it sits at an altitude of 2250 meters above sea level. With its sun exposure of 7 hours and cooler night temperatures of aroung 6C, an ancient typica cultivar emerged to survie these harsh weather patterns. Farmers with Al Hayma region claim to have some of the oldest coffee trees in Yemen. This is yet to be scientifically verified but we do notice ancient typicas unique to this area which have been proven to translate into exquisite notes on the cup.
This lot is a carefully curated collection of cherries from various prime spec ific sites, owned by indiviudal farmers from within Wadi Al Mahjr and made up of three classic Yemeni cultivars of Udaini, Tufahi and Dwairi.