Wonosobo's highland farmers have been growing coffee since the Dutch colonial period, when arabica was first introduced to the slopes of Central Java's interior. Unlike the large estates further south, Wonosobo's production is almost entirely in the hands of smallholders — families who intercrop coffee with vegetables, spices, and fruit trees in a form of traditional agroforestry that ecologists are now studying as a model of biodiversity-positive agriculture.

The Cooperative Model

Over the past decade, several farming cooperatives in the Wonosobo area have begun direct-trading relationships with specialty roasters in Indonesia and abroad. This has increased farm-gate prices significantly — but it has also created new tensions around quality standards, traceability, and the labour required for post-harvest processing. Harvest & Heritage documents these tensions honestly.

Visiting During Harvest Season

The primary harvest window runs from May to August. During this period, cooperative members welcome small groups of visitors for full-day farm experiences — including hand-picking, wet-processing demonstrations, and shared meals. Visits are arranged directly through the cooperative; H&H does not operate tours but can make introductions.