- Kevin Herrell, Owner of Vantage Coffee Roasters

At 18 years old, Jocsan’s father passed away, leaving him with the responsibility of supporting his family. This was the turning point in his life, and he decided to dedicate himself fully to coffee.

Together with his brother Eduar, they began to improve farm management, increased production, and sold the coffee as cherry. Thanks to the municipality of Santa Ana, a group of producers, including Jocsan, learned to process coffee as parchment, which is when Jocsan truly fell in love with coffee.

When Jocsan was young, he worked alongside his father transporting coffee. His father was not very passionate about coffee farming, and when Jocsan was just 14 years old, their family farm harvested only 500 pounds of coffee cherry each year, which they sold locally. Later, his father left coffee altogether to work in another job.

During this time of growth, Jocsan studied to become a primary school teacher, while supporting his brother’s studies. His brother Eduar later received a scholarship to attend an agricultural university in Honduras. Both brothers joined efforts to expand their land and today cultivate 5.6 hectares of coffee, focusing on improving quality and experimenting with different varieties.

In recent years, they began producing specialty coffee, but finding buyers at fair prices was a challenge. In 2024, they successfully marketed part of their harvest at specialty levels.

That same year, they invested in a new storage warehouse for parchment coffee and expanded their drying patios. The expansion required taking on financial debt for construction and farm fertilization. Another challenge was the shortage of trained labor for selective picking, which forced them to invest in training a new group of harvesters and pay higher wages.

The farm covers 24.5 hectares, with varieties such as IHCAFE 90, Catuaí, Lempira, Parainema, and Icatú. This varietal diversity is part of their strategy to ensure quality and resilience in the face of climate change. Under a system of 50% natural shade from Inga, banana, and timber species like cedar, laurel, and gravilea, their coffee plants ranging from 4 to 20 years old—grow in harmony with nature.

In the 2023–2024 harvest, they produced 36.8 metric tons of exportable green coffee, and for the 2024–2025 harvest they expect 29.9 metric tons, of which they can directly offer up to 9.2 metric tons of high-quality parchment coffee. This volume available for direct trade is one of the measurable points that will mark their progress year after year.

Los Lirios is managed under a chemical-free approach. No glyphosate or synthetic insecticides are used. Weed control is done manually, fertilization takes place twice a year, and pest management relies on organic methods. At their small wet mill, coffee is carefully fermented and washed, then slow-dried for 15 days to preserve cup quality

In recent years, Mind & Leo have started experimenting with natural and honey processes, which have boosted their cup scores and opened the door to differentiated microlots. Another metric to follow will be the cup scores achieved and the number of differentiated lots they can produce each year.

What excites them most is knowing that their family’s livelihood depends on the work of their hands. “For us, coffee is life”, they say sincerely, convinced that the future of their farm lies in building direct relationships with buyers who recognize the value of their effort. Their vision is clear: to grow in quality and consistency, to establish direct trade relationships, and to secure fair prices that allow them to keep investing in their farm.

The story of Min & Leo is not only about exceptional coffee, but also about a family measuring progress in every hectare cultivated, every improved lot, and every cup enjoyed by those who value authentic coffee from Honduras.