This exceptional coffee comes from the Chelchele washing station, located in the small town of Worka, in the Gedeb region of Yirgacheffe. Farming practices in Yirgacheffe remain pretty traditional, with producers typically farming very small plots of land (1-2 hectares) adjacent to their homes – they’re essentially farming in their backyard. It’s very much a family business, with spouses, children, and grandchildren providing all the labor. After the days harvest is done, producers deliver their coffee to community washing stations for processing.
Roughly 500 producers deliver their coffee to the Chelchele washing station, where Ali Yasin (the Station Manager) and his team work their processing magic. Chelchele is one of the large washing stations in the area, and rather than focusing on a specific type of processing – they’re able to process coffees as washed, natural, or using experimental techniques. The diversity of native heirloom varieties in the region means that coffees from Chelchele are some of the most sought after in Ethiopia, year after year.