A coffee that tastes like a tea? Here's a technical breakdown of Geruke.

The Jimma Farmers Multi-purpose Agricultural Cooperatives Union, located in Jimma Town, Ginjo Guduru kebele, Ethiopia, was established to support smallholder farmers in the Jimma Zone of Oromia. The Union provides Cooperatives and producer groups with training and technical assistance on sustainable agriculture practices, financial management, marketing and export services for their coffee. They also offer production support to farmers, helping them access the necessary resources to grow and harvest their crops successfully. The Jimma Union promotes environmental conservation and implements organic sustainable practices that promote soil health, water conservation, and biodiversity. Under the instrustion of the Union, cooperatives now create organic fertilizers using animal manure and discarded cherry pulp mixed with lime- these fertilizers are then distributed to farmers at the end of each season. Coffee trees are grown under a natural shade canopy created by other crops like false banana, which also provide a habitat for birds and other wildlife. Farmers use only organic fertilizers at the base of their trees, ensuring that coffee cherries are not exposed to harmful chemicals. The coffee production process in Jimma is meticulous and involves several steps. Farmers handpick only the ripe red cherry and process it by floating it in water tanks, where it is separated by density and quality. After this, the cherry is depulped mechanically, washed again, and then fermented in water. Once the fermentation process is complete, the coffee is sun-dried on raised beds, allowing for even drying and better quality. After the coffee is fully dried, it is packed and transported to a dry mill near Addis Ababa, where it is prepared for export. This includes sorting the coffee by size and quality, removing any defects, and ensuring that it is properly packaged for shipping. The Union has been instrumental in driving up quality in the Jimma zone, providing education and awareness about environmental protection to their members and the wider community and finding an international market for smaller cooperatives, such as the Geruke Mazoriya, Ayiso Lemi Cooperatives and Bikilka Ibso Coop who have benefited greatly from their support.
The Jimma Union provides these cooperatives with technical assistance, training, and access to markets and certifications for their coffee products, helping them implement sustainable farming practices that promote soil health and biodiversity, leading to increased crop yields and improved livelihoods for the farmers. Falcon Coffees has been partnering with the Jimma Union for two years to bring this to the global market.
This particular lot is the resulting from the production the Geruke Mazoriya Cooperative, established in 1977, comprising a whoopping total of 1,753 member farmers, all delivering the product of their harvest to the station.
Situated in the Jimma Zone, Mana Woreda, Geruke kebele, near Jimma town, the cooperative operates a washing station. This station is managed by 5 full-time employees and supported by 300 casual staff during the harvest period from October to December. Covering an extensive area of 1,200 hectares, the soil consists of sandy loam and is rich in nutrients. Coffee is cultivated under a natural shade canopy provided by crops like false banana. The farmers adhere to sustainable practices, utilizing organic fertilizer, primarily composed of animal manure and preserved discarded coffee cherry pulp mixed with lime. This fertilizer is distributed to farmers at the end of each season.
The ripe red cherries are meticulously handpicked, a labor-intensive process. Subsequently, the cherries undergo flotation in water tanks, allowing for separation based on density and quality, with the removal of under-ripe "floaters." Mechanical depulping follows, along with additional washing and fermentation. The coffee is then transferred to raised beds for sun drying, typically spanning 10-14 days. During this drying process, the coffee is regularly agitated to ensure even drying and achieve the desired moisture content, which is monitored at intervals. Finally, the coffee is packed and transported to a dry mill located near Addis Ababa, where it undergoes preparation for export.