It has been a trying few weeks at Needmore, but we are happy to announce some very good news: we are launching a new Ethiopian coffee! We have partnered with Cafe Imports to bring you this offering from Tega & Tula Specialty Farm, an inspiring new producer located in the country’s Keffa zone.
Ethiopian Coffee Culture
Unlike many of the other countries where coffee is sourced, Ethiopian coffee culture was not a product of colonization. Ethiopia is the birthplace of Arabica coffee. Coffee historians believe Arabica coffee is the first species of coffee to ever be cultivated. Producing and consuming coffee is part of everyday life in the country, and has been for centuries. Ethiopians discovered their first coffee plants growing wild in forests. Later they cultivated coffee in home gardens. Until recently, most of the coffee produced in the country was produced in very small quantities.
Recently, the country shifted its relationship to the global coffee market. In 2008, the Ethiopian government established the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange in order to make it easier for more Ethiopian coffee producers to enter the marketplace. Because all coffee was sold through ECX, however, it became harder to trace. The beans lost their connections to the local communities where they were harvested. Fortunately, since 2017 ECX has allowed more direct sales. This change facilites greater transparency and relationship building all along the supply chain.
Tega and Tula Specialty Coffee Farm
Tega & Tula Farm is located in the Keffa zone, which is an area famous for being the birthplace of Ethiopian coffee. Interestingly enough, the name Keffa may be related to the Arabic word for coffee: qahwah. We chose to source our Ethiopian coffee from Tega & Tula because the owner, Ahadu Woubshet, shares our commitment to helping local communities. The land the farm occupies straddles the villages of Tega and Tula and many of the farm’s staff members live in these communities. His staff includes nearly 50 fulltime employees. The farm also pays a well-above-average rate to the hundreds of community members who assist with picking the coffee cherries during harvest season.
In addition to providing jobs for the community, the farm supports school programs and other local efforts. Exemplifying Woubshet’s desire to strengthen ties between the villages of Tenga & Tula, the farm intends to fund the repair of the nearly 10-mile stretch of road that connects them. A new schoolhouse completely funded by Tenga & Tula is already in the works and should be completed this year. The farm also fully funds a local scholarship awarded annually to two college-bound women from the community.
Why You Will Love Tega and Tula’s Ethiopian Coffee
Tenga & Tula’s coffee is a Certified Organic, Washed coffee. The Washed process gives the coffee a unique flavor profile with apricot marmalade flavors and a soft floral finish. We are very excited to be able to offer this Ethiopian coffee to you. That’s why we will be giving away a bag of these beans with a $25 gift card to one lucky winner. Follow us on Instagram for more details about the contest.
