Image 1 of 5
Image 2 of 5
Image 3 of 5
Image 4 of 5
Image 5 of 5
Know Your Coffee: Tigist II -
COFFEE FROM INDIVIDUAL FARMERS ARE BECOMING LESS DIFFICULT TO FIND IN ETHIOPIA, BUT THEY ARE STILL EXTREMELY RARE & REQUIRE A FULL SUPPLY CHAIN IN THEIR SUPPORT. EVERY YEAR THERE ARE A FEW NEW FARMERS AVAILABLE FROM JUST A HANDFUL OF EXPORTERS DEVOTED TO MAKING THIS HAPPEN. TIGIST IS A YOUNG SINGLE WOMAN FARMER, 35 YEARS OLD, WITH A 2-HECTACRE FAMILY PLOT IN THE WORLD FAMOUS GOTITI MUNICIPALITY, PART OF SOUTHERNMOST GEDEO ZONE & AN AREA CROWDED WITH COFFEE FARMERS OF ALL SIZES. SHE IS REPRESENTED BY EPHTAH SPECIALTY COFFEE, A WOMAN-FOUNDED EXPORTER WHO PUTS A LOT OF EFFORT INTO SINGLE FARMER EXPORTS LIKE THIS ONE.
THIS DISTRICT OF GEDEB TAKES UP THE SOUTH-EASTERN CORNER OF ETHIOPIA’S GEDEO ZONE- A NARROW SECTION OF PLATEAU DENSE WITH SAVVY FARMERS WHOSE COFFEE IS KNOWN AS “YIRGACHEFFE” , AFTER THE ZONE’S MOST FAMOUS DISTRICT. GEDEB, HOWEVER, IS A TERROIR, HISTORY & COMMUNITY ALL ITS OWN THAT MERITS UNIQUE DESIGNATION IN OUR EYES. COFFEES FROM THIS COMMUNITY, MUCH CLOSER TO GUJI ZONE THAN THE REST OF YIRGACHEFFE, ARE OFTEN THE MOST EXPLOSIVE CUP PROFILES WE SEE FROM ANYWHERE IN ETHIOPIA. NATURALS TEND TO HAVE PERFUME-LIKE VOLATILES & CANDY-LIKE STRUCTURE.
TIGIST IS A MARRIED MOTHER OF 2 WHO MANAGES 2 HECTACRES OF COFFEE IN GOTITI. LIKE MANY OTHER FARMERS IN THIS AREA, SHE PRODUCES ALMOST ENTIRELY COFFEE, INTERPLANTED WITH ENSET, A FRUITLESS RELATIVE OF THE BANANA TREE WHOSE INNER PULP IS FERMENTED & TOASTED AS A LOCAL STAPLE STARCH. DESPITE SUCH A SMALL FARM TIGIST EMPLOYS 150 DIFFERENT PEOPLE DURING HARVEST TO HELP WITH ALL PICKING & PARTICULARLY, DRYING. CHERRY ON THE FARM IS PICKED FREQUENTLY DURING HARVEST MONTHS. ALL CHERRY IS FIRST CAREFULLY INSPECTED FOR RIPENESS & UNIFORMITY, WASHED CLEAN, & THEN MOVED IMMEDIATELY TO ONE OF THE FARM’S FEW RAISED DRYING BEDS. DEPENDING ON THE IMMEDIATE CLIMATE, DRYING CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 10-20 DAYS, DURING WHICH TIME THE CHERRY IS CONSTANTLY ROTATED TO ENSURE EVEN DEHYDRATION.
A NOTE ABOUT EPHTAH SPECIALTY COFFEE
TIGIST WORKS EXCLUSIVELY WITH EPHTAH SPECIALTY COFFEE, A NEWLY FOUNDED EXPORTER MANAGED BY WUBIT BEKELE & A SMALL TEAM OF OTHER AMBITIOUS & TALENTED WOMEN WITH MANY YEARS OF COFFEE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE BETWEEN THEM. WUBIT WAS RAISED IN NEKEMPTE, A WELL-KNOWN COFFEE AREA, & AFTER WORKING MANY YEARS FOR A LARGE EXPORTER AS A UNIVERSITY GRADUATE, DECIDED TO START HER OWN COMPANY. EPHTAH HAS A RELATIONSHIP-BASED SOURCING NOW IN WEST ARSI, SIDAMA, GEDEO, & GUJI ZONES, RANGING FROM CENTAL PROCESSORS TO SINGLE FARMERS LIKE TIGIST WITH ONLY A COUPLE HECTACRES OF LAND.
EPHTAH’S SUSTAINABILITY IS FOCUSED ON INTERPERSONAL STRENGTH & INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING PILLARS: WOMEN INCLUSION & EMPOWERMENT; COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT; & BOOSTING PRODUCTION & IMPROVING QUALITY. WOMEN, ESPECIALLY, ARE RECOGNIZED BY EPHTAH AS THE “UNDERAPPRECIATED PILLAR” OF ETHIOPIA’S COFFEE INDUSTRY, WHO DESERVE TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THE INDUSTRY, PROFITABLE, & WHO SHOULD BE THRIVING IN A WAY THAT INSPIRES YOUNG WOMEN TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. TO THIS END, GROWERS LIKE TIGIST SERVE AS LOCAL LIASONS FOR EPHTAH, LINKING INTERESTED GROWERS TO EPHTAH & THEIR WOMEN-CENTERED BUSINESS MODEL.
THE COFFEE:
WE ARE THANKFUL TO HAVE PURCHASED 2 LOTS FROM TIGIST THIS YEAR - THROUGH THE HARD WORK FROM ROYAL COFFEE & EPHTAH SPECIALTY. THE FIRST LOT WE PURCHASED HALF OF THE HARVEST & THE SECOND LOT WE BOUGHT OUT ENTIRELY. FOR THIS LOT - LOT II - EXPECT A CLASSICALLY COMPLEX VIBRANCY FOUND IN OTHER GREAT COFFEES BORN IN YIRGACHEFFE. PEACH, MEYER LEMON & OTHER CANDIED & TROPICAL CITRUS NOTES LEAD THE WAY. AN APPROACHABLE PEPPERINESS THAT COMPLIMENTS ALL OF THE HEIGHTENED SWEETNESS & A SYRUPY BODY THAT RESTS GENDTLY ON YOUR PALATE FOR MOMENTS AFTERWARD.