The Jimma zone, in the west of Ethiopia, is at or near the birthplace of coffee. Yet this origin point of Arabica, the species, was lying fallow in the economic sense. Some of the most beautiful coffees coming out of the ground were going into commercial stock lots because they weren’t being carefully separated and produced. What was happening to this coffee was a travesty. But in the past decade the coffee farmers have been pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, working the land, putting training into practice, helping each other out, forming cooperatives, and it’s inspiring to see it. With 100 members at its outset, Biftu Gudina has swelled to a collective of over 300—and over thirty percent are women. They’re in growth mode, and having watched them persevere and succeed, we’ve formed a bit of a soft spot. We’re cheering for them. The coffees we get from the Jimma coops are truly an embarrassment of riches because they’re all great across the board.This year it’s Biftu Gudina.