Clean and sweet with juicy watermelon jasmine florals and an apricot finish. Tucked deep in the highlands of western Ethiopia, Atoma Station is Mike Mamo’s second venture in Gera Woreda. Guided by seasoned quality manager Fikru Demissie, it’s a place where cherries arrive on horseback, from farms so remote they’ve yet to see electricity. We paid 72% above the Fair Trade price for this coffee - learn why here. Atoma, sometimes called “Telila Site Two,” began operating in 2022/2023. Though young, it leans on Fikru’s two decades of experience at Addis Exporter (its sister company, dry miller, and exporter), ensuring each lot benefits from hard-earned knowledge and meticulous quality control. In Tuma Tesso kebele, harvest means long rides along rugged trails, with farmers delivering the cherry to the station, sometimes twice in a single evening. The 2024/2025 season was unkind. An early start, little to no ripening rain, and unpredictable weather meant many cherries skipped the ripe stage altogether. A surge in cherry prices, while welcome for farmers’ incomes, reduced the incentive to sort carefully. Yet, against the odds, Atoma produced coffee with the region’s familiar grace: soft melon, ginger spice, and bright citrus. It’s a cup that carries both the challenges of its season and the quiet determination of those who grew, delivered and processed it.
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