Located in the region of Naranjo-Alajuela, in Costa Rica, Hacienda Miramonte is renown for the high quality coffee beans it produces, and a tradition of bean cultivation carefully handed down through generations. Closing in on a century of existence, the first page of Miramonte’s beautiful history was written by a woman who broke down the barriers of her time and society in search of her entrepreneurial ideal.

Her work, dedication, and determination was passed down to future generations, and her unwavering dedication set an example that inspired her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Today, Lucila’s great-grandson, Ricardo Gurdian is the owner and operator, running the plantation with the same diligence and passion for coffee with which his ancestor started. Ricardo’s focus and forward thinking for progressive and alternative processes continues to refine the product quality. Respect for the environment, and the community ensures that we derive the ultimate flavor from our beans.

In the early days of coffee plantation, workers got tokens for their daily coffee pickings, and once a week they exchanged them for money. One of the original tokens was the “Willows,” and it is this symbol of multiple generations of hard work and effort that now represents our brand. Ricardo now counts on his daughter, Viviana, to continue running the Willows brand and bringing their coffee to the forefront of the industry.

“If you go back 25 years, Costa Rica had so many good farms and a lot of coffee. Right now it’s just one third of that that remains. In our family, it started 100 years ago with my great-great-grandmother, a woman. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for her, 100 years ago, to manage a coffee farm in Costa Rica, horseback riding and all that stuff,”  said Gurdian, chuckling at how far removed she is from that now, and yet serious about the responsibility before her. “I have to continue that heritage we received. I cannot give up.” – Viviana Gurdian in interview with Daily Coffee News