Adam Overton & Rachel Samuel

Adam Overton and Rachel Samuel established Gesha Village Coffee Estate in 2011, driven by a mission to document and cultivate native coffee species near the Gori Gesha Forest in Ethiopia’s Bench Maji zone. The project began in 2007 when the pair, who met while working on a documentary about Ethiopian coffee, sought to explore the birthplace of the globally celebrated Gesha variety. Their estate, spanning 471 hectares, was built from the ground up to honor the region's unique terroir and genetic heritage.

The farm’s development involved meticulous selection of wild coffee samples from the nearby forest, which were then nurtured in nurseries and transplanted to the estate. Today, the farm is home to over 700,000 coffee trees and 30,000 native shade trees, managed in partnership with the local Meanit people. This integration of traditional forest ecology with modern agronomic practices has allowed the estate to produce high-quality Gesha coffee that rivals the most famous lots from Central and South America.

In 2017, the estate made history by hosting the first-ever single-estate coffee auction in Africa, signaling a shift in how Ethiopian specialty coffee is marketed and sold. This move brought unprecedented transparency and direct-trade opportunities to the region. The estate’s coffees have since become a staple for world-class baristas and specialty roasters, frequently appearing in international barista competitions and high-end retail offerings.

The estate is known for its rigorous processing methods, including natural, honey, and anaerobic techniques, which are designed to highlight the distinct floral and fruity profiles inherent to the Gesha variety. These efforts have resulted in record-breaking auction prices, with some lots fetching as much as $254 per pound, a figure noted as one of the highest prices ever paid for an African coffee at the time.

Beyond the technical achievements, the farm serves as a cultural bridge. Rachel Samuel, who grew up in Ethiopia before studying in the United States, has been instrumental in fostering relationships with the local community, including the late spiritual leader of the Meanit people. This collaborative approach ensures that the farm’s growth supports the local population while maintaining the ecological integrity of the West Omo zone.

For the specialty coffee industry, the work of Overton and Samuel represents a return to the roots of the Gesha variety. By proving that world-class Gesha can be produced at scale in its native Ethiopian environment, they have expanded the global understanding of the variety’s potential. Their story remains a focal point for roasters and consumers interested in the intersection of historical preservation, agricultural innovation, and luxury coffee production.