Lunke Zegeye Dayechew enforces strict quality control measures at his farm, where red
cherries are carefully sorted upon arrival to remove immature and over-ripened ones before pulping. 

The cherries are pulped within six hours of harvesting and dried on special
raised African beds to ensure even airflow for optimal drying. To prevent mould and
fermentation, the cherries are regularly turned during drying. Once properly dried, the
outer skin and flesh are mechanically removed, and the green coffee is allowed to "rest" before being exported.

The natural forests in the area are not just a scenic backdrop, but a vital local food source. They particularly provide the Ventricosum plant, also known as 'Enset’ or ‘false banana,' which is abundant in the Sidama region. Enset, a large non-woody plant, plays a significant role in the local food supply, highlighting the importance of preserving these natural ecosystems for sustainable agriculture.

Lunke Zegeye Dayechew is dedicated to environmentally friendly farming practices, using natural materials and avoiding pesticides and chemicals in agricultural production.

Located in the picturesque region of San Luis de Grecia, Alajuela, nestled within the Cordillera Volcanica Central of Costa Rica's Central Valley, Cerro San Luis stands as a testament to the Delgado family's dedication to cultivating exceptional coffee.

The legacy of Cerro San Luis traces back through three generations of the Delgado family, with siblings Magali and Alexander Delgado carrying forward the traditions instilled by their predecessors.

The 45-hectare farm benefits from the region's volcanic soil and temperate climate, with temperatures averaging between 16 to 28 degrees. The farm has a remarkable selection of coffee varieties, in this case, it is the renowned SL28, coupled with meticulous honey processing that amplifies the character, depth and complexity of this beautiful lot.

Harvesting begins in the morning, with cherries promptly de-pulped upon arrival at the wet mill in the afternoon. The farm employs 100% sun-drying on African beds, both outdoors and in greenhouses, ensuring a slow, stress-minimised drying process. This honey lot is dried without washing to retain the sticky mucilage. Daily turning and moisture checks ensure quality, with drying times ranging from 12-16days until the coffee reaches 10-10.5% moisture. Stored in a wood-covered cement warehouse, coffee is packed in double plastic bags for optimal preservation.
Cerro San Luis has garnered recognition for its commitment to quality, with coffees from the farm ranking among the top 20 in Cup of Excellence competitions in previous years. Varied coffee varieties have been instrumental in this endeavour. Innovations such as the implementation of Brix analysis at Cerro San Luis have been pivotal in enhancing farm and coffee quality.

In southern Ethiopia, within the Gedeo zone, lies the village of Haru, where the waters of the Goto River nourish the coffee cultivation. Here, 2820 smallholder farmers cultivated coffee in their backyards and delivered their harvest to the Harusuke washing station. Owned by Abreham Mengiste, the Harusuke washing station was established in 2017. Coffee grown in Ethiopia is naturally organic, as landrace varieties harmonise with the environment, providing organic fertiliser and natural pest control. This particular variety is well known for its small bean size. Luckily, in this case, good things come in small packages! Elevated acidity and dense complex fruits are well known attributes of the variety and growing altitude that should be embraced and not feared!  During harvest, only red cherries are hand-picked. The coffee is depulped within 8 to 12 hours of being harvested and is transferred to fermentation tanks. There, floats are removed before the coffee is left to ferment for 48 to 72 hours. Following fermentation, the coffee is washed to remove the mucilage and placed in a drying tank for 12 hours before moving to African drying beds. The drying process takes 8 to 10 days, with hand-picking and rotation to ensure uniform drying. Supervisors oversee the operations to maintain quality. Once the coffee’s moisture content reaches 10 to 12%, it is moved to a warehouse in Addis Ababa. The cleaning process starts with pre-cleaning to remove foreign materials, followed by hulling and polishing to remove the parchment and silver skin. The coffee is then sorted by screen size and density, with defects separated using colour sorters before being bagged in Grainpro for export. Local coffees have received the 2018 African Fine Coffees Association’s Taste of Harvest award. This coffee is sourced from our partner, Primrose Coffee, a vertically integrated company with 20 years of experience in Ethiopian green coffee exports and a proud member of the Ethiopian Chapter of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance.