Ethiopia - Laayyoo

We are very excited to bring back Laayyoo, one of our most popular coffees, for the fourth harvest. Look for intense berry-forward fruit, sparkling acidity, and a crisp mouthfeel from this year's lot. 

The Laayyoo Natural is produced at the Raro Nensebo washing station in Uraga, Guji, which falls under the Oromia region of Ethiopia. This area is oftentimes mistakenly known as Sidamo Guji, but instead should be known only as Guji or West-Guji on its own. The farmers that deliver cherry to this washing station come from the ‘kebele’ or village known as Teraga, and their farms sit at an elevation of between 2,100 and 2,350 m.a.s.l. These producers generally grow the 74110 and 74112 varieties, which are local varieties selected for their production and disease resistance.

The word Laayyoo refers to an indigenous tree growing in this area, used for shade on coffee plantations. Its deep roots allow for the falling leaves to offer rich, nutrient dense compost, acting also as a fertilizer. 

This coffee was processed by Sookoo Coffee, which is run by Ture Waji, also known as “The King of Guji”! Between harvests, Ture and his team educate farmers on good agricultural practices, in order to help improve the quality of their coffee cherries. His company also provides pre-harvest loans to farmers who need it, for example to pay for hired labor to do maintenance on the farm, such as weeding and planting. The washing stations employ a ‘woman-first’ policy and the company has built a school for the children of the coffee producers and roads for the communities they work in.