Gesha Village Harvest Expedition 2019

 

Due to security issues in Ethiopia we have cancelled our 2019 course in Ethiopia. We will reschedule for 2020 once the situation on the ground improves.

Discover The Birthplace Of Geisha Coffee in Ethiopia
Join us for a once in a lifetime exploration to the far west of Ethiopia. In 2004 I tasted my first cup of Geisha during a coffee competition in Panama and this phenomenal variety turned my world upside down. I organized various expeditions to the far West of Ethiopia in search of the origins of Geisha. After many explorations in wild coffee forests, we finally stumbled upon a relatively small forest in the province of Bench Maji, not too far from the town of Gesha. We collected various samples and started to investigate the flavor profiles. In this quest for the roots of Geisha, I collaborated with my friends Adam Overton and Rachel Samuel, who planted a beautiful farm called Gesha Village Estate with the objectives to save the local forest and the magnificent indigenous Gesha coffee variety. The Gesha Village Harvest Expedition 2018 takes place at the estate while the harvest is in full swing. During the course you will learn about the unique indigenous Ethiopian coffee cultures and you have the chance to harvest, process and taste new crop Gesha coffees!

Course Schedule
Day 1 – Sunday – Departure by 4×4 cars from Addis Ababa to the town of Bonga.
Spend the night in the Kaffa Guesthouse, Bonga.

Day 2 – Visit a local forest coffee farm. Continue traveling to Gesha. Arrival at Gesha Village Estate end of afternoon.

Day 3 – Morning – Introduction by Willem Boot and by Gesha Estate owner Adam Overton. Initial walk into the farm for a first exploration of different coffee varieties. Lecture about farm management and sustainability.

Day 3 – Afternoon – Visit the weekly farmers market in Gesha town. Meet and mingle with the Meanit people. Introductory lecture about processing styles and methods. Observe processing of freshly harvested coffee cherries. Headlamp roasting session of freshly harvested coffees.

Day 4 – Morning – Assess progress of coffee processing at coffee mill. Students go out in groups and join coffee pickers for the harvesting of coffee cherries. Lunch with coffee workers and drink chemu (an indigenous coffee beverage made of coffee leaves and spices).

Day 4 – Milling, grading and roasting sessions of new harvest coffees. Observe more processing of freshly harvested coffee cherries.

Day 5 – Morning – Cupping session of new harvest coffees.

Day 5 – Afternoon – Students continue working on their group assignments.

Day 6 – Course wrap up. Departure to Djima with stop in Bonga to buy forest honey. Arrival in Djima 6pm.

Day 7 – Departure to Addis Ababa; arrive around 5pm.

Stay at Gesha Village Estate
The Gesha Village Harvest Expedition 2019 takes place on-site at the estate farm of Adam Overton and Rachel Samuel, personal friends of Boot Coffee. Their farm will be your classroom. During the stay in Gesha we will camp in well equipped tents, amidst the beautiful nature of western Ethiopia. There will be 24/7 security to make your stay as comfortable as possible. The farm has (simple) facilities with bathrooms and shower.

From Harvest to Process to Cupping
The course takes place while the harvest is in full swing. With access to dozens of different lots being prepared and finished, there will be an emphasis on harvesting, processing and cupping in this class.

What’s Included?
Students will stay on-site in tents situated at the campgrounds very near the farm and the nearby forest. Included in the cost: festive welcome meal on saturday evening in Addis Ababa, food and lodging at the farm, transportation to and from Gesha with 4×4 vehicles.

Important Note
Each participant is responsible for: airfare to Addis Ababa, lodging in Addis (make your own reservation), lodging in Djima (we make the reservation).

Dates
Due to security issues in Ethiopia, our 2019 trip to Ethiopia has been cancelled. We will reschedule for 2020 once the situation on the ground improves.

Registration
Please email us at in**@bo********.com to be informed about future trips to Gesha Village. As an alternative we recommend you join us for our Gesha Birdsong Panama course.