Jimma, Limmu Kossa, Ethiopia

About

The Chalchissa farm covers over 150 hectares and is located deep in the heart of a beautiful forest in the Jimma appellation. It is born of a small family farm run by the father of its two owners. Inspired by their farmer father, Mesfin and Yidnekachew Dabessa invested in the Chalchissa farm 10 years ago to replicate the family business on a larger scale. Today they produce a fully-washed coffee with subtle notes of lemon, cane sugar and honey. It is a coffee harvested by hand by farmers that possess a meticulous know-how, which is becoming increasingly rare. The coffee trees at Chalchissa benefit from a rich natural environment. The forest’s unique flora produces a high-altitude coffee of a superior quality.

LIMMU KOSSA 

It is on her farm that Genet collects cherries from neighbouring producers as well as her own crop. Straight from the Limmu Kossa area near the village of Wolensu, this natural coffee is produced by Genet Seifu. It cultivates on 100 hectares the varieties 74110, 74140 and 74145 under forest cover.  Genet employs 14 full-time employees on its farm and up to 200 during the peak of the harvest. 

Woreda Limmu Kossa

The Limmu Kossa terroir is located in the Oromo region, around 80 km north of the town of Jimma, within the appellation of the same name. The coffees from this terroir are grown in a forest made up of a variety of ancient species.

The rich soils and environment of this terroir give this coffee its special character. The name “Limmu” is traditionally associated with washed coffee from the Jimma region, as this was the name of the first washing station in the area.

By way of distinction, plain coffees were called “Jimma”. In this region, coffee growing is essential for both nature and its inhabitants, because of the value it adds to the forest areas.