Ethiopia Harsu Wokilo

COFFEE BIOGRAPHY

THIS DRY PROCESS COFFEE WAS PROCESSED AT A PRIVATE MILL IN THE VILLAGE OF HARSU WOKILO, URAGA, AND SERVES ROUGHLY 120 SMALLHOLDER COFFEE FARMS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. THE PROCESSING SITE SITS AT 2200 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL, AND SOME OF THE FARMS REACH AS HIGH AS 2350 METERS! THE HIGH ALTITUDE LEADS TO SOME VERY SMALL, DENSE COFFEE. THIS LOT LOOKS TO BE AS SMALL AS 14 SCREEN (MEASURED AS 14/64"). THEY PRODUCE BOTH DRY AND WET PROCESS COFFEES. THE DRY PROCESS METHOD INVOLVES DRYING THE WHOLE COFFEE CHERRY IN THE SUN, FRUIT AND ALL. WHEN DONE WITH CARE, IT CAN BE COMPLEX, FRUITED, AND EVEN AROMATIC LIKE THEIR WASHED COUNTERPARTS. SPECIAL ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO REMOVING COFFEE THAT IS NOT UNIFORMLY RIPE IN ORDER TO CREATE THEIR GRADE 1 LOTS. IT REQUIRES A LOT OF HAND LABOR, AND HELPS WITH UNIFORMITY IN THE CUP. THE COFFEE DRIES FOR 2-3 WEEKS ON RAISED BEDS, THEN STORED IN A COOL WAREHOUSE WHERE IT RESTS FOR AT LEAST A MONTH BEFORE BEING PREPARED FOR EXPORT. THE HARSU WOKILO MILL IS RUN BY GEMECHU SHONORA, ALONG WITH BROTHERS SHEBURA, MORKATA AND ADUGNA. THEIR FATHER WORKED FOR THE LOCAL UNION MANY YEARS AGO AS A COFFEE COLLECTOR, GOING OUT INTO THE SURROUNDING TOWNS BUYING COFFEE CHERRIES FROM FARMERS.