ETHIOPIA REKO #1494

Curator's Notes

Peach rings and porch swings! Refreshing and fruity, this Rainforest Alliance coffee from Suke Quto farm is the perfect warm weather drink. Enjoy its sparkling lemonade brightness and easy-sipping, sweet tea finish.

Roaster's Notes

Before Guji was known for its outstanding coffee, the region produced mainly cattle for dairy and meat. In the late 1990's, bushfires ravaged the landscape. As farmers began to return, they started to plant grains. As a government official, Tesfaye Bekele tried enticing farmers to grow coffee by handing out free seed packets. When told it would take roughly 5 years before they could start harvesting from these new plants, farmers would scoff and reject his ideas. Frustrated, Tesfaye requested a received a grant from the government to start his own coffee farm. He wanted to show these producers what growing coffee could do for them. When the community started to recognize the risk that he had taken, and the results being shown for it, the began returning to him for seeds. This lot comes from Tesfaye Bekele's personal farm, Suke Quto. On that farm is also the Suke Quto Washing Station, which services 171 producers, including those very same producers that originally balked at him, is the standard bearer for quality and environmental stewardship in Ethiopia. All coffees from the Suke Quto Washing Station are Organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified.