Don Elí Farm

Meet the Monteros
Java Central has been working the incredible Montero family and their farm Don Eli since 2014, when Andy Piper visited their farm as a guest. He quickly became enamored with proprietor Carlos Montero – a teacher and sustainability advocate. We have purchased coffee year after year as an investment in this work, which has grown into a company in its own right. Carlos’ son Jacob and daughter Marianella (with husband Perry) now have created a shining example of sustainability and ethical responsibility in the coffee production industry. We could not be more proud to feature their work.
Regional Info
Tarrazú is a small mountainous region in the San Jose province of Costa Rica. It has a long history of producing Costa Rica’s highest quality coffees and is rich in the tradition of coffee growing. Recently, Tarrazu has become known for its experimentation in coffee processing.
Sustainability Efforts
Carlos Montero has been an advocate for sustainability in his coffee producing community for many years. He began this work by purchasing fallow coffee farms – farms that were abandoned – and allowing the land’s natural habitat to return. After some experimentation with planting coffee within the forest, Carlos discovered the coffees were healthier and tastier than more traditionally grown plants. These efforts led to economic and social improvements for his community and the men and women who harvest his coffee.
Meet the Monteros
Java Central has been working the incredible Montero family and their farm Don Eli since 2014, when Andy Piper visited their farm as a guest. He quickly became enamored with proprietor Carlos Montero – a teacher and sustainability advocate. We have purchased coffee year after year as an investment in this work, which has grown into a company in its own right. Carlos’ son Jacob and daughter Marianella (with husband Perry) now have created a shining example of sustainability and ethical responsibility in the coffee production industry. We could not be more proud to feature their work.


Regional Info
Tarrazú is a small mountainous region in the San Jose province of Costa Rica. It has a long history of producing Costa Rica’s highest quality coffees and is rich in the tradition of coffee growing. Recently, Tarrazu has become known for its experimentation in coffee processing.

Sustainability Efforts
Carlos Montero has been an advocate for sustainability in his coffee producing community for many years. He began this work by purchasing fallow coffee farms – farms that were abandoned – and allowing the land’s natural habitat to return. After some experimentation with planting coffee within the forest, Carlos discovered the coffees were healthier and tastier than more traditionally grown plants. These efforts led to economic and social improvements for his community and the men and women who harvest his coffee.








What is Agroforestry?
Agroforestry is the practice of planting or cultivating agriculture within the natural ecosystem of one’s farm. It has shown great promise in improving the overall health of the land, including improvements in soil health, erosion, conservation of birds, mammals, insect and other plants, as well as improvements to the local water table.
Why is it important?
The widespread use of Western monocropping in agriculture has led to severe degradation of land resources throughout the world. Tropical regions, with their highly sensitive ecosystems, are most damaged by these practices – which also deplete resources and create enormous systemic problems for animals and people throughout the world. By investing in Agroforesty practices, it’s possible to solve some of these problems and restore habitat and land resources.
Improving the
Quality of Life
for those working the Monteros’ farm is an important focus for the family.
They have used the extra revenues brought in by their high-quality coffee to assist their workers by operating a daycare for the children of the harvesters – offering early educational opportunities previously unavailable to them.
They also improve worker housing and furnishings, even helping to rebuild one long-time worker’s home in the forests of Panama – which Carlos and his sons built themselves.




Economic Impacts
It’s impossible to overstate how much Carlos Montero and his family have helped their community grow into a more flourishing and profitable coffee farming town.
Don Eli has used their connections to the coffee market to assist neighboring farms in finding buyers for their coffees. The higher prices that can be achieved through this arrangement allow farmers to earn desperately needed revenues above what the local co-operative will pay.
These revenues are invested in their families through education and training, as well as their facilities and operations to improve their coffee further. These investments then lead to further improvements to their local habitats, environment and the wellbeing of the people who work in the fields.
It is truly an exponential growth.

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