We already know that coffee transcends national and international boundaries and Worka Chelichele washing station demonstrates just that. According to political boundaries, the station is in Gedeb Woreda but according to the congruence of microclimates and tastes, the station and the farms that deliver to it are in Yirgacheffe. This Natural from Worka Chelichele station is bursting with the delicate florals, jammy berries and warming chocolates we all know and love from Yirgacheffe.
Cultivation
Farming methods in the region remain largely traditional. Yirgacheffe farmers typically intercrop their coffee plants with other food crops. This method is common among smallholders because it maximizes land use and provides food for their families.
In addition to remaining traditionally intercropped, most farms are also organic-by-default. Farmers in Yirgacheffe typically use very few — if any — fertilizers or pesticides. Most farm work is done manually by the immediate family.
To capitalize on the magnificent climate, Worka Chelichele provides training to help farmers produce better quality cherry. Training focuses on procedures for harvesting and transporting cherry.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Farmers selectively handpick cherry and deliver it to Worka Chelichele washing station. At the station, employees hand sort incoming cherry to remove any under- or over-ripes or damaged cherry.
All accepted cherry is then laid to dry in thin layers on raised beds for approximately 21 days. The station has 360 drying beds and each bed is marked with a code that makes it simple to keep track of traceability and processing status.
About Gedeb
Gedeb, a district named for its largest town, in the Gedeo Zone is largely agrarian. According to a 2007 census, about 11% of the population lived in urban areas. The rest of the population lives in rural areas and are predominately subsistence farmers.
Most farmers in the region farm on fewer than 5 hectares (many counting their coffee farms in terms of trees rather than area). Cultivation methods are largely traditional. Families typically farm small plots of land near their homes and intersperse food crops with coffee and other cash crops.
The majority of coffees grown in Gedeb are local landrace varieties (which are often also called Ethiopian heirloom). Other varieties frequently grown in the region are those developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Centre (JARC). JARC is an important research center for Ethiopia and has done a great deal of work on developing disease-resistant and high-yielding varieties that still demonstrate high cup quality.
