Where the coffee grows in dense cloud forests: our 2025 Ethiopia travelogue

In July 2025, we visited the parts of Ethiopia where we source our coffees. We started our travels in Oromiya and Southwestern regions of Ethiopia, and visited the farm where our Limu coffee is grown. The landscape is lush and coffee grows in forests among indigenous trees, avocado, and wild fig. We tasted coffee flower honey, and observed the piles of composted coffee husks that were being used to feed new coffee seedlings with essential nutrients. 

We then traveled to the Keffa zone, the part of Ethiopia where Arabica coffee first was discovered in the wild, in the dense cloud forests, and where the mother tree of all coffees is still believed to grow. Here we visited the Kaffa Forest Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union with over 4000 members. We also saw coffee husks being transformed into briquettes, and used as a wood and charcoal substitute for cooking fuel. 
 
The coffee trees in the region are full of green cherries, promising a great harvest in a few months, if all continues to go well.

The next part of our travels took us to the South to Arba Minch, Konso and Dorze. Here we relaxed with family and also learned about other preparations of coffee. In Konso we tried a beverage made with dried coffee leaves, salt and spices. In Dorze, we were served coffee leaf tea with spices, as well as kojo with honey and hot sauce. Lots of inspiration for our cafes!

After a few days of exploring and learning, we drove to Yirgalem, in the Sidama region. Here we spent time with coffee farmers in the Hanfafa village. The Deraro family prepared coffee for us, showed us their enset (false banana) preparation, and proudly showed us the new house they had just built and moved into. 

The next day, we drove to Bensa to visit the Daye Bensa Coffee company. It was wonderful to visit the area where our Sidama coffee comes from and learn more about a company that is building on a family legacy of coffee and investing in the future of coffee and coffee communities, through support to surrounding small farmers (called outgrowers in Ethiopia).

From there, we drove to Dilla, and the following day arrived in Yirgacheffe, probably the most famous of the coffee areas in Ethiopia.

In Yirgacheffe we met with Mulugeta and Worknesh, two farmers with small to medium farms (10-17 acres). Mulugeta uses the sun-dried or natural drying process, and Worknesh uses washed processing. They both use biodynamic farming methods, incorporate other crops in an agroforestry setting, and utilize organic composting methods, though neither farm is certified as organic. Most small and medium sized farms in Ethiopia are organic by default, and many cannot afford the time and expense of getting certified.

We spent our last afternoon visiting a small scale coffee roaster in the city of Hawassa, a husband and wife team, with a growing business providing roasting services to businesses in the area.

We are now back in New York, processing all we saw and learned. We are so grateful that we could take this trip and incredibly thankful to the very many people who gave so generously of their time, knowledge and experience.