Ephtah is a specialty coffee exporter and wholesaler that owns and operates the Lalesa drying and processing station in the Gedeb woreda (district) of Ethiopia’s Yirgacheffe region. Purchased in 2023, the 3.5-hectare station sits at 2,200 metres above sea level and has 400 raised beds, where high-elevation heirloom coffee is hand-processed and dried.
Local growers pick their cherries, mainly heirloom varieties grown at 2,150 to 2,200 metres, and bring them directly to the station, where they’re paid on delivery. Ephtah also supports women in the community through education, financial knowledge, financing and leadership development.
As a natural, the whole ripe cherries are sun-dried for 15 days with their skin and mucilage attached, for a sweeter, fruitier cup.
