09 Aragash Gelcha

Ethiopia, Gedeb, Gedio, our first competition coffee. Aragash Gelcha’s farm is located in Halo Shashemene village, within Halo Bariti kebele, part of the Gedeb district in the Gedio zone, Eastern Southern Ethiopia. This region is known for producing some of the best coffees in Yirgacheffe. On her 5-hectare farm, Aragash grows coffee as a cash crop alongside enset (false banana) and fruit trees to feed her 12 children (6 daughters, 6 sons).

This lot comes from Aragash Gelcha’s five-hectare farm in Halo Shashemene, one of the highland pockets that gives Gedeb its reputation for expressive, fruit-forward coffees. Aragash grows Kurume and 74110 at 2150 masl among enset and fruit trees, a mixed farming system that supports both soil health and her household of twelve children. Everything on the farm - from off-season pruning to harvest and sorting - is done by the family.

Kurume thrives at this altitude, producing compact cherries with concentrated sweetness. Paired with the natural process, it gives a cup with the depth and character Gedeb is known for.