Mayan Tapestry

When we arrived at the Kaffa cooperative, the morning mist still clung to the mountainside. Almaz was already there, her hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee from the previous harvest. 'Welcome,' she said, 'let me show you how we've been doing this for 800 years.'

She led us through rows of coffee trees, some planted by her grandmother. 'Each cherry is picked by hand,' she explained, demonstrating the gentle twist that releases only the ripest fruit. 'The trees tell us when they're ready—you just have to know how to listen.'

That evening, Selamawit invited us to the community breakfast—a tradition that brings the village together every Saturday. As we sat in a circle, passing the coffee pot clockwise, stories flowed as freely as the brew. This wasn't just coffee; it was connection, history, belonging.

As we prepared to leave, Almaz pressed a bag of beans into our hands. 'Share this with your community,' she said. 'Let them taste what we taste, feel what we feel.' And that's exactly what we're inviting you to do—taste this coffee, and through it, connect with Almaz, Selamawit, and their 800-year story.