ALTITUDE - 1950 - 2150 MASL // REGION - HARICHA WOREDA, GODEO ZONE // PROCESS - NATURAL // VARIETY - HEIRLOOM

Ethiopia Rocko Mountain Natural 100% Arabica Speciality Grade Coffee

Rocko Mountain: Exceptional Natural Coffee from Banko Chelchele

Tariku Mengesha, the sole owner of his farm in the Banko Chelchele kebele of Gedeb woreda, south of Yirgacheffe and near the Oromia region, produces exceptional natural coffee. Committed to sustainable farming, Tariku practices essential agronomy, keeps his fields weed-free, and grows pulse crops to maintain soil fertility. He prunes his coffee plants with guidance from Technoserve and district agricultural experts.

Natural Coffee Processing

Tariku, with assistance from Tesfaye Roba, processes his coffee using the traditional natural method. Cherries are first soaked to remove immature, overripe, and foreign matter, then dried on raised beds for 28 days, ensuring high-quality beans.

Diversified Farming for Sustainable Living

While coffee is Tariku's primary income, supporting his family of 10 children (3 boys and 7 girls), he also grows navy beans and false banana (enset). Enset does not produce edible fruit, but its rhizome and pseudostem are harvested for food. Typically maturing in four to five years, enset plants provide about 80 lbs of starchy food, often fermented underground for up to a year. This fermented substance, known as "kocho," can last up to a decade and is a staple in Southern Ethiopia, though quite strong for Western tastes.

Explore Tariku Mengesha's Coffee

Discover the rich flavors of Tariku Mengesha's natural coffee, a product of sustainable practices and traditional processing methods, rooted in the fertile lands of Banko Chelchele.