Ethiopia Duromina Washed

Duromina is sourced from 400 smallholder farmers in Ethiopia’s Agaro region in Oromia in the Jimma zone. Agaros are special, continuing to open up for 6+ months after arrival and peaking in flavor for a magically long period post-arrival. We find it even more special that these coffees, which come in first, also hold up the longest.
 
Like the rest of Ethiopia, Jimma is divided into several woredas (districts) and kebeles (communities) with washing stations throughout—each offering unique terroir. The Gomma woreda is one of them, and within it lies the Qadamessa kebele, home to the Duromina washing station.
 
In the Duromina washing station, the coffees are washed and mechanically depulped, then soaked overnight. After fermentation, coffee is dried for 6 to 8 hours a day over 6 to 8 days on raised beds, with frequent turning for even drying. Qadamessa is characterized by high rainfall distributed across the whole growing season. The harvest season usually goes from mid October to late January and the farms are located in soaring altitudes that range from 1850-1980 masl. The community’s main source of income is coffee, which they grow on very small farms ranging from 0.1 to 2 hectares.
 
The farmers of Qadamessa belong to the Oromo people and speak Oromo. They maintain certain ancestral customs and have a quiet lifestyle built almost entirely around coffee farming. Many families here struggle with lack of electricity and drinking-water access. Children in the area usually don’t start going to school until age 9 because they have to travel long distances to get to the nearest school. Due to this education gap, the majority of young people in the area end up dedicating themselves to agriculture: growing potatoes, coffee, maize, or false banana trees on their parents’ or neighbors’ farms.
 
*Beans are green, raw, unroasted and must be roasted prior to brewing coffee. Do not grind or consume prior to roasting.