We got the chance to meet and talk to one of the coffee farmers of Suke Quto during our origin trip to Ethiopia. It was the first time he truly saw the end result of his hard work.
The owner of the farm, Tesfaye, has always been a ‘frontrunner’. He continuously strives to improve the quality of his coffee by innovation and by education of his people. His coffee is part of the operation cherry red program and he is the driving force behind the school that’s being built for the children of his workers.
This is the Reko washing station. These very well organized people make amazing quality coffees. They have been longtime friends, partners and they are part of the operation cherry red program.
Menno with long time partner Safaye, from Guji Mora. This coffee farmer owns plantations at very high altitudes and therefore provides the best quality coffee with a real Guji flavour profile: floral, sweet with tones of peach and apricots.
Ever since we’ve visited Adolfo Ferreira, we’ve been wanting to buy his coffee. So we’re super happy this is finally happening now. Adolfo is the owner of both Fazenda Passeio and Fazenda Lagoa, located on mountain slopes near the town of Alfenas, Minas Gerais. He is extremely caring, sweet and knowledgeable. Knowing all current Brazilian varietals – including when they arrived in the country and which they were crossed with – by heart! Adolfo is also the president of the Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA), striving for all the Brazilian coffee farmers to produce the best quality possible and sharing his knowledge wherever and whenever possible. Apart from coffee, he is a strong competitor on the soccer field at his farm.
In 2001, Haile reconciled with coffee. Together with his wife and seven daughters he returned to his coffee roots and made a home in the highlands of Guji. There, he inherited a piece of family land suitable to grow coffee. Haile started to dream big. He spread seedlings among locals and convinced them that this crop would change their lives.
In the last fifteen years, Haile saw Guji transform from a cattle farming area to a coffee region. This is due to his pioneering spirit and the cooperation between Tesfaye Bekele (Suke Quto Farm) and Menno(founder of Bocca). Together with his two friends, Menno and Tesfaye, Haile put Guji coffee on the map. Today, more than 45 washing stations and 55 dry mills have been established since the introduction of coffee in Guji zone.
Berhane, son of coffee farmer Salomon drinking his own OCR coffee at Kerkstraat 96. They own 4 washing stations. We were proud to serve him one of their coffees from the washing station in Guji, Ethiopia. Menno’s been working with them for 13 years now!