Producing partner:Winter Wonderland 2021
This year's Winter Wonderland seasonal offering is a blend of washed and natural process coffee from Suke Quto Farm in the Guji region of Ethiopia. A fruity-floral aroma, creamy mouthfeel, and sweet lingering aftertaste make this coffee perfect for the holiday season.
Suke Quto is owned and run by Tesfaye Bekele, a pioneer of coffee in the Guji region. Tesfaye started his coffee career while working in Natural Resource and Environmental Protection for the government of Ethiopia. After large brushfires terrorized the area between 1997 and 1999, Tesfaye hoped to preserve Guji's forest by bringing large amounts of coffee seedlings to nearby families to grow on their lots of land.
About The Grower
After receiving an unenthusiastic response in the community, Tesfaye reserved a piece of land to begin a coffee seedling nursery with government money. With people remaining uneager to farm the seedlings, he took it upon himself. After his first harvest, the community that originally rejected his idea returned to gather seedlings to grow on their land. Tesfaye now owns 221 hectares of land and partners with 171 growers in the region.
Suke Quto
Suke Quto Farm expands over the highlands and valleys of the Odo Shakisso woreda, or district. The farm’s volcanic soil is maintained by organic recycling through litterfall, shade trees, and root residue from coffee. Tesfaye focuses on the economic growth of the community by paying liveable wages from sustainable coffee production.