Costa Rica Roger Ureña Hidalgo

Description

Roger Ureña Hidalgo has been working on the family farm for 40 years. Today, together with his son Jorge, he is fully committed to promoting coffee cultivation that respects both the land and the people. Roger constantly strives to innovate, refine his methods and diversify his plantation with different varieties, whilst consistently focusing on improving the quality of his coffees. The Santa Teresa processing station is owned by the Ureña family – Roger and his son Alex. Here, at an altitude of 2,000 metres, the family’s coffee varieties are processed across 15 farms: Geisha, SL-28, Typica, Pacamara, Wush wush, Casiopea, Sudan Ruma, Villalobos, Catuaí and Esperanza… The station is situated in the Tarrazú region on the west coast of Costa Rica. The region and its climate are highly favourable for coffee cultivation, particularly due to the slow and gradual ripening of the coffee cherries. The region’s climate varies according to the seasons: a period of moderate rainfall during the growth and development of the fruit, and a dry season that coincides with the harvest. After each harvest, each of the family-run farms is meticulously prepared to ensure consistent quality from one harvest to the next. The Dota Terroir Since pre-Columbian times, the Dota region has been inhabited by the indigenous people of the Huetar Kingdom, although the first European settlers arrived in the 1860s from Tarrazú, with José María Ureña Mora being one of the pioneers of settlement in the area. The canton was officially founded on 23 July 1925. Dota has been deeply influenced by coffee cultivation, which has historically been its main economic activity and has shaped the local identity. It is precisely this coffee tradition that has led to the region’s development and consolidation. Dota accounts for approximately 2–4 per cent of the country’s annual coffee production. Tarrazú means ‘stone from the forest’. It is one of Costa Rica’s best-known regions for coffee production, thanks to the reputation for quality enjoyed by its local coffees. The country’s highest-altitude coffee farms are located in this very region. They reach altitudes of up to 1,900 metres above sea level and start at around 1,200 metres above sea level. In Tarrazú, coffee is the main source of income.