Suke Quto – Ethiopia

Description

Honeydew Melon, Cheesecake, Rosehip

Limited Time Offering | Organic 
Suke Quto Farm stretches over the highlands and valleys of Guji’s Odo Shakisso district in Ethiopia. Producer Tesfaye Bekele keeps the farm’s fertile volcanic soil in shape by organically recycling the leaf fall and root residue from the resident coffee and shade trees. (All Suke Quto’s coffees are Organic and Rainforest Alliance certified.) Tesfaye’s commitment to the quality and love of the land is evident in every sip of this exceptional coffee, with its deep floral aroma and notes of sweet melon, creamy cheesecake, and rosehip tea. This is our 2nd year featuring Suke Quito, and we hope to carry it for many more future harvests! 

Ato Tesfaye Bekele is one of the people that put Guji specialty coffee on the map. While the Guji zone was dominated by cattle farmers, he was seeking new ways to make coffee popular in Guji. “I come from a coffee-producing family… coffee is everything to me. All my time and energy are placed into the beans that I harvest and process,” Tesfaye explains.

In the 90s, Tesfaye was working for the government of Ethiopia in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. He was responsible for the Guji and Borena zone. From 1997 to 1999, Guji was hit by large bushfires that destroyed 5000 forest acres. Tesfaye was responsible for rebuilding and finding new ways to conserve the area. “I came up with the idea to replant the forests and add coffee trees to enhance diversity. The local community agreed to my proposal and asked me to provide the coffee seedlings.”

Tesfaye distributed large amounts of coffee seedlings among the community. He also reserved a piece of land and started a coffee seedling nursery. Eventually, he resigned from his government job and became a full-time coffee farmer. Today, Tesfaye works with 171 outgrowers who all deliver cherries to the Suke Quto Washing and Drying Station. 

Tesfaye focuses on environmentally friendly coffee and on the economic growth of his community. He believes that farm workers should be able to earn a living income from sustainable coffee production. Tesfaye also initiated a community project that aims to renew local schools. They recently built a new school in the village of Kurume.