From our vantage point, founding a coffee washing station does NOT seem like a chill retirement plan, but alas, after nearly 50 years of governmental service, Ayele Tulu was motivated by something other than maximum chill. With six children from two marriages, he aspired to build something that could be passed down, and he now has a washing station in his family’s hometown of Bona Zuria, Sidama. Two of his children are already in cahoots with him out there, working with ~300 local farmers with plantings as high as 2,300 meters above sea level. Producing washed, natural, and anaerobic natural lots, the quality we’ve had a chance to observe thus far is downright stunning.

Like one of our other Sidama lots — Bekele Yutute — this one is primarily made of JARC variety 74158, which is nicknamed “Zipa” in Ayele Tulu’s neck of the woods. This variety is currently the mainstay for quality-focused farms in the region, and is frequently described as “Gesha-esque,” though we are not explicitly making such a statement here ;) 

74158 is one of approximately 40 varieties derived from Landrace/heirloom descendants and refined by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center—JARC. In addition to zooming in on characteristics conducive to strong cup quality, these varieties aspire toward higher yields and greater pest resistance, thus adding up to a win/win/win when circumstances make their proliferation practical.