We’re proud to be developing direct trade relationshipswith producers in Honduras. Through our partnership with the Honduran Coffee Alliance,we’ve connected with individual farmers who take great pride in their craft. This value chain model allows us to truly put a name and faceto the people behind the coffee — adding depth and connection to an industry where consumers are often far removed from the hard work that makes each cup possible.We’re grateful to be part of this growing relationship and look forward to creating even more opportunities like this in the future.
“As roasters, our goal is to honor that dedication by presenting these coffees in a way that celebrates the producer’s effort while providing you with an exceptional coffee experience.”
- Kevin Herrell, Owner of Vantage Coffee Roasters
Meet the Farmer: Jocsan Otoniel Mendoza
I was fortunate to meet Jocsan and Eduar during our origin trip to Honduras through Honduran Coffee Alliance. They have an amazing success story and strong dedication to producing excellent coffees using various processing methods. I was first introduced to their coffee at Lab Nicolas in Marcala, Honduras. Afterward, I visited the farm and was treated to a nice homecooked meal where I learned more details about their coffee journey and some of the greatest challenges they face in bringing to market specialty coffee. I am excited to bring their story (and coffee) back to share with you!
- Kevin
The Story Behind Jocsan & Finca El Limon
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.
Where is Jocsan Today?
2025 Update – Today, Jocsan dedicates 90% of his total production to specialty coffee, although only about 50% is currently marketed at specialty prices, leaving significant room for growth. His main goal for this year is to begin building a structure to automate part of the coffee processing and to acquire equipment for his own cupping lab. The lab will also support other producers in the Santa Ana, La Paz region. With these investments, Jocsan hopes to increase the share of his coffee sold as specialty and, most importantly, to establish long-term business relationships that will sustain his family and community.
