Duromina Cooperative
Year founded
2010
Partnered with Stumptown
2011
Varieties
Ethiopian Heirloom
On our menu
Processing technique
Washed
The Producer
Duromina, which means ‘improve their lives’ in the Afan Oromo language, was formed in 2010 by farmers who wanted to do just that. Immediately thereafter, the cooperative received a loan from the bank, constructed a wet mill, and began processing washed coffee.
The Place
The Duromina Cooperative sits in the highlands of the Jimma Zone of Western Ethiopia. Farmers cultivate coffee in small plots near their homes and on densely shaded hillsides. The nearby village many the farmers live in used to be inaccessible during the rainy season, so the cooperative worked with the government to cofund a road project and built a bridge to give them year-round access.
The Process
Once coffee is depulped, it’s soaked overnight and dried in the sun for 7-10 days. Water from the washing station is filtered before it returns to the river. Over the years Duromina has been able to expand their operation by adding a second and third washing station. The cooperative was able to purchase a bus to move coffee cherry from collection sites to the washing stations. The bus is also used to bring the farmers’ kids to the nearby school.