Vista Espresso – Yukro

Ethiopia’s Oromia region is home of the Yukro lot in the zone of Jimma, this coffee is sourced from 579 smallholder farmers. Like the rest of Ethiopia, Jimma it’s divided into several woredas (districts) and kebeles (communities) with washing stations throughout—each offering unique terroir. The Geera woreda is one of them, and within it lies the Wanja Kersa kebele. 

In the Yukro washing station, the coffees are washed and mechanically depulped, then soaked overnight. After fermentation, coffee is dried for 6 to 8 hours a day during 6 to 8 days on raised beds, with frequent turning for even drying. The area of Wanja Kersa is characterized by high rainfall distributed across the whole growing season, the harvest season usually goes from mid October to late January and the farms are located in altitudes that range from 1800 – 2200 masl. The community’s main source of income is coffee, which they grow on very small farms ranging from 0.1 to 2 hectares. Wanja Kersa’s producers intercrop using false banana trees and maize for shade, selecting based on the age of the coffee plant and its other needs. Their soil is a highly fertile sandy loam with good water retention and drainage. It’s self-sufficient with proper planting practices and doesn’t require fertilizer to produce spectacular quality.

The farmers of Koba belong to the Oromo people and speak Oromo. They maintain certain ancestral customs and have a quiet lifestyle built almost entirely around coffee farming. Many families here struggle with lack of electricity and drinking-water access. Despite the difficulties life brings in Wanja Kersa, the producers here are recognized by the specialty coffee world for their great dedication, ancestral coffee wisdom, and phenomenal quality.