Kaldi, the Dancing Goats and the birthplace of coffee
For many, the story of coffee begins over 1,000 years ago in Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia) with the tale of a young goat herder named Kaldi and his dancing goats. As told, Kaldi noticed his herd dancing from shrub to shrub, grazing on cherry-red berries. Copping a few for himself, he was soon frolicking with his flock. The rest, as they say, is history. Dancing goats or not, the forests of Kaffa are today widely believed to be the botanical birthplace of coffea Arabica. This coffee tree species produces the world’s greatest coffees and can still be found growing wild across the Ethiopian highlands to this day. Many believe that the word “coffee” was derived from the name of the province “Kaffa” where the tree first took root.

The Kaffa Forest Region
This family-owned coffee estate is nestled in the highland forests of Kaffa, 475 kilometers southwest of Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa. The tropical forests offer the ideal micro-climate for growing coffee while also providing sanctuary to a diversity of wildlife, birds, flora and fauna. With an average elevation of 5,800 feet above sea level the coffee trees are nurtured by cool morning mists and a lush tropical canopy that provides protective shade from the midday sun. This canopy enriches the soil with organic nutrients
while helping to preserve its moisture.