Coffee Info
This coffee comes direct from Bombe Village. The coffee plants grow between 1920 and 2020 masl. The beans are very dense, with heavy concentrations of the smaller screen sizes (the majority of the coffee screen sizes at 13-14) which reflects slow maturation at higher altitudes.
Farm Info
Daye Bensa’s Gatta Farm is at the heart of Shantawene Village, in Sidama Bensa, Ethiopia. It sits at an altitude of 2120 – 2210m in the midst of a natural forest. The site is surrounded by indigenous trees, which are older than 100 years, waterfalls, and rivers. Gatta Farm has been named after a waterfall which crosses the farm.
Gatta Farm was a natural forest before being discovered by the cofounder Mulugeta Dukamo while managing the construction of Gafisse Station. They planted the first coffees in 2013, and established the drying station in 2017. The vegetation and forest surrounding the farm is useful as natural shade for the farm and the drying station. Plantation, harvesting and processing works are mainly done by the local residents. Also women are involved and are mainly assigned to quality control and processing, except for labor intensive tasks. By offering working opportunities and proper wages this is a real benefit for the local residents.
Process Info
Step 1: Coffee cherries are selectively hand-picked when they reach peak ripeness. Only fully matured, red cherries are collected to ensure high-quality beans.
Step 2: After harvesting, cherries are sorted to remove underripe, overripe, or defective ones. This is done manually by floating them in water (defective cherries float) or through visual inspection.
Step 3: The cherries are spread out in a single layer on African raised drying beds (woven mesh or wooden racks) for proper air circulation. They are regularly turned by hand to ensure even drying and prevent fermentation or mould growth. The drying process typically takes 14-18 days.
Step 4: Throughout the drying period, the moisture content is monitored. The target moisture content for properly dried cherries is 10-12%. If dried too fast, beans may crack; if too slow, they may ferment.
Step 5: Once fully dried, the cherries are sent to a dry mill where the outer dried fruit layers (husk and parchment) are mechanically removed. This step exposes the green coffee beans inside.
Step 6: Beans are sorted by size, weight, and density using specialized machinery. Defective beans are removed manually before, finally, they are graded according to Ethiopian coffee standards.
Step 7: The processed green beans are packed in GrainPro bags to maintain freshness.