5# Roasted

Ethiopia Natural Demisse Farm

Natural Processed coffee grown by the Demisse Family with flavors of raspberry and lime shortcake. 

Ethiopia is commonly known as the cradle of coffee civilization, Ethiopia is where the coffee plant was first discovered, the beans roasted, and brewed. According to the legend of Kaldi the Goatherder, one day Kaldi noticed his goats nibbling on the cherries of a bush that were causing them to get energetic and jumpy. He took the cherries from the bush to a local shaman who upon examination scoffed and tossed them into his fire. Quickly an enchanting aroma filled the air. They took the roasted beans from the fire, crushed them up and added them to hot water and the first cup of coffee was made.

Ethiopia has a great tradition of heirloom varieties. In fact it's estimated that between 6-10,000 varieties of coffee occur naturally in these highlands. Traceability to specific farms is extremely difficult in this country, however, due in part to the government's nationalization program and auction system. Another factor is that most harvesting is wild grown forest coffee or comes from small backyard garden plots.

Among coffee-producing countries, Ethiopia holds near-legendary status not only because it’s the “birthplace” of Arabica coffee, but also because it is simply unlike every other place in the coffee world. Unlike the vast majority of coffee-growing countries, the plant was not introduced as a cash crop through colonization. Instead, growing, processing, and drinking coffee is part of the everyday way of life, and has been for centuries since the trees were discovered growing wild in forests and eventually cultivated for household use and commercial sale.

The majority of Ethiopia’s farmers are smallholders and sustenance farmers, with less than 1 hectare of land apiece. In many cases, it is almost more accurate to describe these farms as “coffee gardens” as the trees do sometimes grow in more of a garden or forest environment than what we imagine fields of farmland to look like. There are some large privately owned estates, as well as co-operative societies comprising a mix of small and more mid-size farms, but the average producer here grows relatively very little for commercial sale.

Natural coffees are typically delivered the day they are harvested, and are first sorted for ripeness and quality before being rinsed clean of dirt. Then they are spread on raised drying beds or tables, where they will be rotated constantly throughout the course of drying. Drying can take an average of 8–25 days, depending on the weather.

West Arsi is a high-elevation area near the center of Ethiopia experiencing subtropical climates. The washing stations throughout West Arsi service hundreds of smallholder producers. The mixture of dark and red soil creates coffees that are very clean and elegant in profile.

Mr. Tadesse's father, Mr. Demisse, moved to Nensebo, West Arsi with his family in the 1960's. After settling, the family farmed the land they acquired there. In the 90's, the started producing coffee. Tadese Demisse has been a coffee producer since then. Mr. Tadesse Demisse is a father to 15 children. His eldest, Bilelign Tadesse is a pharmacist and assists his father in managing farming and processing. Mr. Demisse was the 10th place winner of the 2021 Ethiopia Cup of Excellence, the first time the country hosted their own competition. 

Our light roast of this coffee accentuates its flavor of raspberry and lime shortcake. 

Farm     Mr. Tadesse Demisse
Process     Natural
Variety     Heirloom Ethiopian Varieties
Elevation 1900-1950 MASL
Region     Nensebo Woreda, West Arsi
Country     Ethiopia
Harvest     October–January