about Smallholder Farms
Our Ethiopian Yirgacheffe comes to us through ZEM Coffee, a vertically integrated coffee company founded by Ethiopian and American trio Zele, Emily, and Michael. The partnership began in 2013 and has evolved through various ventures, including Catalyst Trade, which rapidly scaled as an Ethiopian coffee importer from 2018 to 2023. ZEM Coffee now operates with a small team in Kansas City and specialized teams in Ethiopia and Peru. Their focus is on quality coffee and intimate, sustainable partnerships in the coffee industry.
These Ethiopian heirloom and landrace are separated by batches and processed through what the supplier describes as Limited Oxygen Fermentation:
The Limited Oxygen Fermentation process starts with ripe cherries, which are placed in float tanks to remove lower-density fruit, leaving only the highest density cherries. Unlike typical Natural processes, these cherries undergo a critical fermentation step in an oxygen-controlled environment. This “Limited Oxygen Fermentation” is influenced by naturally occurring environmental yeasts enhancing clarity, fruit notes, and sweetness. Refined over several seasons in Ethiopia, each farm and microclimate require careful adaptation to meet flavor and quality targets. The cherries are fermenting in this environment for approximately 24 hours, dependent on variables such as temperatures and weather. After fermentation, the cherries dry slowly on open-air tables under mesh canopies.
