Worka

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 counting 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 -in this case- to the Worka washing station. At the station, employees hand-sort the incoming cherries to remove any under- or over-ripes or damaged fruits. In the case of the honey method, the coffee cherries then de-pulped and the seeds, which are still covered with sticky mucilage, are spread on raised drying beds and moved regularly to ensure even drying. All drying beds are marked with a code that makes it simple to keep track of the daily lots and their processing status.