Ethiopia Limu Gera Farm Grade 1

Region: Oromia

Producer: Gera Farm

Varietals: Heirloom Ethiopian Cultivars

Altitude: 1900 – 2100MASL

Process: Fully Washed

Tasting Notes: A malt, caramel cup with lemon and lime. Bright acidity through a delicate tea-like body with a lingering toffee finish.

Background

Gera farm is located in Limu, in south-western Ethiopia. A large, landlocked country in the eastern Horn of Africa, Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Africa, with an estimated population of 85 million people.

Limu coffee grows in the southwest of Ethiopia between 1,100 and 2,000 metres above sea level. Gera Farm uses sustainable production methods with no chemical fertilizers or insecticides. The coffee is shade-grown beneath Juniper, Gravely and Acacia trees, thereby helping to prevent soil erosion and conserve water. Cascara, the remaining husks of the coffee cherry, and fallen leaves from the tree canopy above form a natural, organic mulch which fixes nitrogen into the soil and aides development of the coffee cherries. Farm employees benefit directly from the sale of this coffee, Monies raised are put back into the community to provide housing, schooling, health care services and recreational facilities free of charge for farmworkers and their children. Funds also help to bring potable water and electricity to surrounding villages.

From the Oromia region, Gera Farm Limu grows in the red volcanic soils of the highlands area on the Western side of the Rift Valley. The coffee grows at an altitude of 1900-2100 metres above sea level. Coffee cherries are hand-picked and then left in stone vats to ferment for 36-48 hours. Wet milling at the farm removes the husks and the coffee seeds are then sun-dried on tables for 10 days.