Single Origin Highlight: Our Ethiopian Partners from Kochere, Yirgacheffe
Yirgacheffe coffee is celebrated as one of the most flavorful in the world, and our Single Origin Kochere, Ethiopia, is a shining example of why. At Sum>One Coffee Roasters, every cup tells a story — one of the people who grow it, the land that nurtures it and the partnerships that make it possible. Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of our most treasured offerings: our Kochere, Ethiopia, sourced through our Project Direct partnership with the Bonde Kochere Washing Station in the highlands of Yirgacheffe.
The Bonde Kochere Washing Station
Nestled at an elevation of approximately 1,900 meters in the Kochere district of Yirgacheffe, the Bonde Kochere Washing Station is where high-altitude growing conditions and heirloom varieties come together to orchestrate a symphony of vibrant flavors. Behind each exceptional cup stands a community of 650 dedicated smallholder farmers who pour their expertise and care into every harvest.
The process at Bonde is nothing short of meticulous. Ripe cherries are hand-selected, depulped and fermented for 36 to 48 hours, then dried under the golden Ethiopian sun until ideal moisture levels are reached. This careful choreography transforms fertile soils and organic practices into a celebrated sensory experience — a true, encore-worthy performance from one of coffee’s most renowned regions.
What truly sets this station apart is its commitment to quality. We partner with the station to uphold the highest standards, sorting coffee beans with extraordinary care. Beans are graded by size and density, then hand-sorted to remove imperfections. This process can take up to three times longer than standard methods, helping ensure an exceptionally clean cup profile. The result is a coffee that is as precise as it is vibrant.
Beyond the Cup: Project Direct’s Impact
The extraordinary cup quality tells only half the story. Our commitment through Project Direct extends beyond flavor. At the Bonde station, sorters earn twice the regional average wage, providing more stable incomes that strengthen families, support community development and help fund education for the next generation. This is the transformative power of Project Direct in action — where exceptional coffee creates meaningful opportunity.
Bringing Clean Water to Yirgacheffe
Our relationship with the Yirgacheffe community goes beyond coffee. Through Project Direct, Sum>One Coffee Roasters has partnered with Water to Thrive and Keffa Coffee to help provide access to clean and safe water for 145 households in a village near Yirgacheffe in southern Ethiopia. This initiative aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6: ensuring access to water and sanitation for all.
Elizabeth, a 15-year-old fifth grader living with 10 siblings, describes the current water situation in her village. Every morning before her afternoon school shift, she is responsible for fetching water for her family from an unprotected pond beside the river — a source shared with livestock during the day and wildlife at night. Her story is a powerful reminder of why this work matters. Water is essential not only to health, but also to poverty reduction, food security, peace, human rights, ecosystem preservation and education.
When you choose Kochere, you’re not just choosing a beautiful cup of coffee. You’re choosing to support the livelihoods of 650 farming families, invest in fair wages for processing workers and contribute to clean water access for the entire community. That’s the Sum>One difference: every sip adds up to something greater.
