Juan Rafael Montero is a very committed producer with an interesting background: He was a professional soccer player in his young life, then got tired of the sports life and decided to buy a farm to grow organic avocados. When he and his wife lost their avocado crop, their neighbors suggested they start planting coffee instead, and Finca Monteroga was transitioned to coffee plants. The "Tio Juan" in the name of this micromill comes from his grandfather.
For the first few years, Don Juan Rafael worked with Don Pepe Micromill, but he invested in his own micromill in order to control the quality and production. He grows mostly Caturra and Red Catuai. Don Juan Rafael uses the same environmentally conscious practices on his coffee that he did on his avocados, and he produces all of his own fertilizers using organic materials, worm castings, as well as manure from the horses and goats that he also raises. For the 2016/17 harvest, Don Juan Rafael produced 65 bags of coffee, all of which he sold to Cafe Imports.
For more information about coffee production in Costa Rica, visit our Costa Rica Origin Page.
