Lot 8: Santa Teresa Roger Ureña Hidalgo

Growing coffee in the Zona de los Santos is a long-standing tradition, passed down from generation to generation, as it has always been a reliable source of income and a path toward personal and family progress.
I was born on November 19, 1963 (Roger Ureña Hidalgo). By that time, my father was already growing coffee—just as my grandparents had done before him. From a young age, I helped my father with both the dairy farm and the coffee plantation, while also continuing my education, which I completed through high school.
At the age of 15, I began growing coffee on my own. I started by preparing seedbeds, and that marked the beginning of my first coffee plantation.
In 1987, I traveled to the United States to work and save money with the goal of returning to Costa Rica to invest in a business. Naturally, I was drawn to coffee farming, and from that point on, I began expanding my plantations. However, it wasn’t until eight years ago that I decided to process my own coffee mill, founding the Santa Teresa 2000 micromill.
The Santa Teresa farm, where the mill is located, was acquired about 12 years ago. There, we have planted varieties such as Geisha, Rume Sudan, Pacamara, Villalobos, Typica, San Roque (SL-28), Casiopea, Bourbon, along with existing Catuaí plantations. The farm’s altitude ranges from 1,900 to 2,050 meters above sea level.
In addition, we produce coffee on other farms located between 1,600 and 2,050 meters above sea level.
My eldest son, Alex Ureña, supports me with both the farm and the micromill operations.
We participate in Costa Rica’s Blue Flag Program and, for the past five years, we have also begun the process of Carbon Neutral Certification, an important step to align our practices with environmental sustainability.
Our coffee is harvested with the help of Panamanian families, who have been coming to work with us for several years. Meanwhile, the labor needed to maintain the plantations is carried out by a mix of Nicaraguan and Costa Rican workers, meaning that several families benefit from this business.
Last year (2024), we were overjoyed to win first place in the Costa Rica Cup of Excellence (COE) in the washed category. We’ve been participating in COE for the past eight years, consistently ranking in the Top 10, but last year marked the first time we achieved the top spot. It was a moment of immense joy and pride for us—a reward for all the hard work we’ve put in since the micromill was founded.
Winning is not only a recognition of our efforts but also a commitment to continue improving the quality of our coffee.
We’re excited for customers to taste this coffee—produced with great care, love, and dedication.