Ethiopia Kayon Mountain

About the Coffee

Kayon Mountain Coffee Farm has been owned and operated by Ismael Hassen Aredo and his family since 2012, in the Shakiso District of Ethiopia's Guji Zone. The estate sits at 1,900 to 2,200 meters above sea level and is known as one of the more consistently well-run farms in southern Ethiopia. During harvest, Ismael manages a team of 25 full-time employees alongside up to 300 seasonal workers.

To keep skilled pickers returning each season, the farm offers free transportation and pays wages above the local rate, competing directly with nearby mining operations for labour. Kayon Mountain also contributes to local infrastructure, including schools and administrative buildings in the surrounding community. That kind of long-term investment in people tends to show up in the quality of the work at every step of the harvest and processing chain.

This coffee is processed using the natural method, meaning the whole cherry is dried with the fruit still intact around the bean. It's sourced through Cafe Imports, a Minneapolis-based importer known for long-term relationships with producers. The coffee is shade-grown, and the farm's careful attention to processing carries through to a clean, consistent result in the cup.

About Fernwood

Fernwood started in 2007 when Ben and Terra purchased Parsonage Café in Victoria, BC. Both came from restaurant backgrounds, and when they started a family, buying a café was a way to build something of their own while changing the pace of their lives. In the back of that café sat a 1936 Barth roaster, and roasting became the center of what Fernwood grew into.

From early on, Fernwood focused on daily quality control and consistent sourcing rather than scale. That approach was backed up when the team won the Canadian Barista Championship, a signal that careful, everyday coffee and high standards can coexist. Many of the people who joined early on have stayed and now lead different parts of the business, which says something about how the company is run.

"Fernwood is a roaster you'll see all over Reddit as being one of BC's best. I asked to try their coffee, and now I get what all the hype is about. I bought a few extra bags of Manos al Grano for my stash at home."

- Dean, Director of Coffee