We’re psyched to release one of our seasonal favorites from the Fero Cooperative in Sidama, Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and the Sidama Union of Growers, comprising of 80,000 individual farmers, put the region’s traditional knowledge into practice through nearly 50 regional base co-ops.
We’ve tasted coffee from many of these groups, but over time have zeroed in on the Fero Cooperative. Their coffee shines due to their particular locale, which is vaulted high in the mountains above the Rift Valley at nearly 2,000 meters. This impressive elevation causes the coffee cherries to mature slowly, developing a physically dense bean, filled with nuanced and complex flavors.
We also love the fact that Fero uses washed processing: immediately after harvest, the pulp of the coffee cherry fruit is removed by milling. After that, the bean is fermented, washed and then dried on raised beds. Washed processing results in a cleaner, brighter, more consistent coffee.
In a business that spans oceans and continents, relationships are important. This is our fourth year in a row working with the Fero Cooperative, and we couldn’t be more excited by the commitment to quality we’ve seen with this group of dedicated farmers.
Purchase Organic Ethiopian Fero here.