Luis Retana grew up with coffee as part of everyday family life, accompanying his father to the farms from an early age and learning from a tradition first established by his grandfather. His ambition became clear over time: to take the family’s coffee beyond the conventional cooperative model and explore new opportunities through specialty production. Today, the family manages four farms, San Joaquin, Los Reyes, La Guaria, and La Cabaña, all located in Costa Rica’s Los Santos area. Together, they range from 1,400 to 1,800 meters above sea level.

The family grows Victoria 14, Catuai, and Caturra, while gradually introducing varieties selected for greater resistance to pests. Their current processing work includes Natural and Honey coffees, with recent harvests providing space to experiment and understand how each method suits different lots. Quality also requires changes at harvest, including helping pickers adapt to more careful cherry selection. For buyers, this combination of elevations, varieties, and processing methods creates a strong base for differentiated coffees.

The project is moving from a volume focused model toward specialty coffee, a transition Luis sees as challenging but important for the future. His father remains closely involved in day to day crop management, while the family continues refining cultivation and processing. Climate variability and pest pressure have reinforced the importance of adaptation, timely farm care, and exploring new varieties.

For Luis, coffee has been the pillar of his family and a reflection of years of work. One of his proudest moments is seeing coffee from the family farms represented in a brand and ultimately enjoyed by someone else. Looking ahead, he hopes to continue planting new varieties and eventually open a coffee shop where he can serve coffee grown by his own family.