Ethiopia Sidamo Shoye Washed

Thought to be the birthplace of the coffee plant, Ethiopia has the perfect conditions for growing specialty coffee. This coffee comes to us from the Dale district in the Sidama region of southern Ethiopia. Coffee plants (both wild and cultivated) flourish in the region's fertile highlands. Rich in water resources and nutrient dense soil, Sidama is the leading coffee producing region of Ethiopia.

This fair trade lot was cultivated by the small organic farms organized around the Shoye Cooperative and was processed through the Sidama Coffee Farmer's Cooperative Union (SCFCU). The SCFCU was founded when members from 35 different Ethiopian coops came together with a common goal, to export their coffee directly to specialty markets. Today, the SCFCU has grown to represent 46 coops and 80,000 farmers, making it the second largest coffee producing cooperative union in Ethiopia.

The SCFCU uses the revenue from fair trade sales in the US and Europe to continue its commitment to organic production. The union hosts workshops on composting and natural fertilizers as well as purchasing and repairing equipment. The coop gives scholarships to hundreds of children, funds new school buildings, builds roads and warehouses, and continues to install electricity in the region.

This lot is made up of indigenous heirloom cultivars (or landrace varietals) that have been passed down for generations through farming families. These varietals also grow wild, especially in the natural shade of the rainforest canopy.

Grown and hand harvested by individual farmers, this coffee was collected by the Shoye cooperative and transported to the SCFCU for processing. There the cherries were carefully sorted before being fully washed. As per African tradition, the coffee was sun dried on raised beds. African drying beds are made of wood, chicken wire, and plastic netting to promote airflow.

The cup is clean and bright with notes of peach black tea, chamomile, candied ginger, and fresh lemon.