Ethiopia Tega and Tula Farm Zingaj Sublot

Tega & Tula Specialty Coffee Farm, purchased in the year 2015 by Ahadu Woubshet. It is one of the oldest large operations in Ethiopia. It was originally established in 2000 and had a great reputation for the first decade or so, before quality began to decline and the original owners encountered financial troubles. Ahadu knew of the potential for excellent coffee due to the perfect conditions for coffee and decided to purchase it to bring it back to it's roots. Tega & Tula are actually two adjacent farms, named after the two nearby villages of Tega and Tula, found in the woreda, or district, of Gibo, in Kaffa, Ethiopia. The total farm area is nearly 500 hectares in size, with roughly 400 hectares planted in coffee. It is surrounded by protected UNESCO forests and absolutely stunning. 

The farms have both flat and hilly components and have a healthy natural water source running through the entire properties, which allowed Ahadu to build infrastructure like washing stations in new areas that were optimal for efficient coffee flow from the trees. Ahadu also built a paved road connecting the two farms which not only allows easy transport for staff, but also ensures vital safety components like ambulances are able to get to where they need to go quickly. Ahadu also built a school on the property that currently educates over 80 children in grades 1-8. He Also fully electrified the Tega and Tula villages which has been a huge advancement for the community. Ahadu also pays the staff at these farms on average 20% higher than other farms. He plans to do one large project based on community input each year. This all feeds into a system he likes to call “Fair Chain” - a lifting up of the entire supply chain to find a better life working in coffee.  Ahadu has said to us many times “Without a community, you can't have a farm.”.

The farm is certified organic and produces both Washed and Natural coffees, and it not only has a wonderful flavor profile but also full traceability down to the producer—and nowadays down to the "block," or subplot. Each block has its own farm manager and agronomist which Ahadu believes is helping to contribute to the operational excellence he hopes to achieve. Ahadu is an entrepreneur who was a founding member of the executive team at the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange, who left the ECX and decided to invest in a farm himself in order to produce entirely specialty coffee. He truly found the perfect spot in the famous Kaffa Zone, which is considered the absolute birthplace of Arabica coffee, and decided to restart up the operation with a keen focus on preserving the natural beauty of the area, support the local community, and of course produce fantastic coffees.