La Bella

La Bella is more than a coffee farm. In Frailes, in the Los Santos mountains of Costa Rica, the Marín family has passed knowledge of the land from one generation to the next. The family property began as cattle land before coffee became its defining crop. The farmers have faced changing markets, plant disease and difficult agricultural decisions.

Decades ago, the family began reducing conventional agrochemical use after noticing deteriorating soil conditions and weaker coffee plants. Shade trees grew among the coffee, while organic matter and living ground cover became part of the daily work. This was not an overnight conversion, but an evolving way of observing and responding to the farm.

One of La Bella's defining stories is its older Typica coffee, alongside Caturra and Catuaí. The family's approach considers the slope of the land, shade, roots and surface cover together. Pruning, mulch, compost and water movement are practical decisions behind each harvest.

The family also navigated the coffee-rust crisis, balancing crop survival and long-term environmental goals. Their experience shows why regeneration is a process of adaptation, not simply a claim printed on a bag.

Today Heriberto, Esteban and Arturo Marín carry this coffee legacy forward, with future generations and the health of the landscape in view.