Ethiopia Guji Hambela

The Hambela Wamena Washing Station, which was established in 2018, is located at the top of the highest mountain peak of Guji Hambela, which makes it a natural central point to serve surrounding towns.

Coffees in Ethiopia are typically grown on very small plots of land by farmers who also grow other crops. The majority of smallholders deliver their coffee to a nearby washing station or central processing unit, where it is sorted, weighed, and paid for. After that the coffee is processed (washed or natural) at the washing station and is spread on raised beds to dry.

Typically farmers in this region don't have access to and therefore do not utilize fertilizers or pesticides in the production of coffee.

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.

Guji is a beautifully forested area in southern Ethiopia. The people of Guji grow coffee gardens at very high altitudes in the rich red soil of the highlands, setting this coffee's profile apart from neighboring regions. These smallholders deliver their coffee to washing stations to be sorted and processed together, developing flavors of fruits, deep chocolate, and light florals.

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.

Heirloom is often used to refer to varieties that are native to the country, many of which are still found in the wild today. It is estimated that there are between 10,000 and 15,000 heirloom varieties in Ethiopia today.