Werka

The village of Werka (or Worka) is located in the southern part of the Yirgacheffe region, in the Gedeb district. The majority of coffees grown in Gedeb are local indigenous varieties (which are often also called Ethiopian heirloom). Most farmers in the region farm on fewer than 5 hectares (many count their coffee farms in terms of trees rather than area). Cultivation methods are traditional for the most part, with coffee being grown as part of an integrated ‘coffee garden,’ intercropped with other food crops. Farmers selectively handpick the coffee and deliver their cherries to the nearest -in this case, to the Kebir Coffee Werka- washing station. At the station, the coffee cherries are sorted upon receipt, then after wet-fermentation, they are cleaned and sorted in washing channels. Finally, the seeds, still covered in parchment, are spread on raised beds and dried for approximately 10-14 days, depending on the weather conditions. The parchment is hulled off the beans just before export, and after further sorting, they are packed into bags.