Ethiopia | Riripa | Heirloom | Natural

by Proud Mary Coffee

Region: Nensebo, West Arsi, Oromia  Elevation: 1900-2200 masl About: From the highlands of Ethiopia’s West Arsi zone comes this exceptional naturally processed coffee, produced by 822 smallholder farmers in the village of Riripa, Nensebo woreda. Grown at 1,900–2,200 meters above sea level, these locally selected Landrace and JARC varieties benefit from slow maturation, developing dense beans with extraordinary clarity and complexity.  Farmers deliver ripe, handpicked cherries to SNAP’s Riripa washing station, operated by renowned coffee producer Negusse Debela. Here, cherries are meticulously sorted before undergoing traditional Natural processing. They are dried on raised beds, turned frequently for even drying, and carefully covered during the hottest hours and at night to protect quality.  West Arsi, once part of the Sidama region, is now celebrated in its own right for bright, floral, and sweetly layered coffees. The area’s Oromo farming communities cultivate coffee on small ga