Emergency fundraiser for La Montaña

On my list of "coffees to try" is the 2007 El Salvador Cup of Excellence winner Finca La Montaña. So I was really saddened when I got the most recent newsletter from the Terroir Coffee Company which described how Finca La Montaña had been devastated last week by a wind storm that stripped his 14-acres of coffee of both beans and leaves. Terroir owner George Howell will be doing a special-price roast of the La Montaña coffee to raise funds to go directly to the farm owner. Here is George's background and proposal:

This is a farm which won 5th place, then 4th place, then 1st place in succession over the last three years in Cup of Excellence. Preliminary estimates indicate he will not have a crop until 2010!  How does a farmer with less than 14 acres survive? The 3rd place and 4th place winners of last year's Cup of Excellence are his neighbors, and all three use the same mill to strip their fruit and dry their beans. We have yet to hear about them. We want to help in a meaningful manner.

La Montaña is scheduled to be roasted on Monday, January 28. We will be offering this coffee, which in my opinion is the purest coffee expression we have, bar none, at $50 for eight ounces (versus the usual $27.95). Terroir Coffee will donate the entire price to Mr. Ochoa primarily and to the mill, his critical support, which may also be facing very bad times from these events. Not a penny will be spent on any bureaucracy. We have approximately 70 pounds of his coffee left.  $50 dollars per half-pound would result in $7,700, if all is sold. This coffee will still cost less per serving than the equivalent serving of a $20 bottle of wine, by the way. Please spread the word! You will give new meaning to sweetness in your coffee! Those orders already received for this coffee at the regular price will, of course, be honored.  Any remaining La Montaña will be set back to the regular price for the following roast next month. For those interested in paying more please call us at (866) - GHH-JAVA.

Here is the link to order this coffee (scroll down), and read the review at Coffee Review here. Hats off to George and all the customers who participate for this great, worthy fundraiser.