Karamo Mimosa

Gara Agena Washing Station
Gara Agena is a privately-owned washing station that is located in the Bura _woreda _(administrative district) in Ethiopia’s Sidama zone. The washing station is found in the kebele (local village) of Karamo, and is one of twenty owned and managed by Testi Coffee, a family-owned company founded by Mr Faysel A. Yonis.

Gara Agena produces exceptional natural and special preparation lots. The washing station was built by Testi in 2020 as one of their ‘Premium’ facilities, which are selected for their natural advantages – including the surrounding region’s characteristics and access to fresh, clean water. By choosing sites in areas favoured with great growing conditions and paying premiums for properly harvested fruit, Testi ensures they only receive extremely high quality cherry, resulting in outstanding complexity and distinction in the resulting cup.

The washing station was constructed on the slopes surrounding the Geta River, at a staggering 2,300m above sea level. The river runs in a U-shape around the African raised beds, creating a cool micro-climate that slows down the drying of the coffee.

During harvest, freshly picked coffee cherry is delivered daily by some 600 independent outgrowers from the kebeles surrounding Gara Agena. The harvest in Karamo is later than most other nearby villages and coffee cherries grown here are quite small, both due to the kebele’s high elevation and cool climate. Testi has strict standards in place for the quality of cherry delivered to Gara Agena, only accepting ripe, red fruit that will produce the sweetest and most complex lots. This meticulous and selective approach, along with the relatively small number of contributing outgrowers, adds to the distinct cup quality of this coffee.

The majority of the families that contribute to this lot farm organically on tiny plots of land, which average just one hectare in size. Coffee is their main cash crop and grows alongside food crops of corn, grain and bananas, under the shade of native Birbira, Wanza, and Acacia trees. The average elevation of the farms in this region is very high – around 1,995–2,230m above sea level – and this, combined region’s cool temperatures, is ideal for the slow ripening of coffee cherries, leading to denser beans and a sweeter, more complex cup profile.

About the Sidamo Coffee Region
Historically, Sidamo refers to a wide geographical region encompassing much of central-south Ethiopia, that is well known for producing exceptional natural and washed coffees. The region is located in Ethiopia’s South East Coffee Zone, and includes renowned coffee-producing localities such as Yirgacheffe, Kochere, West Arsi, Bensa and Guji. Sidamo extends across the states of Oromia and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR), two of eleven ethnically-based regional states of Ethiopia. After a 2019 Referendum, some of the territories that fall under the the Sidamo coffee region have separated from the SNNPR and become the autonomous Sidamo regional state.

Coffees that are grown and processed in Sidamo showcase an extremely diverse range of flavour profiles, and are noted for their intensely fruit-forward, tea-like, floral and complex character that is sought after worldwide. It is widely accepted that the coffee species, Arabica, originated in the lush forests of southern forests of Ethiopia and hence growing conditions in this area are perfectly suited for producing exquisite coffees.