A Family Legacy Reimagined

Finca Las Flores was founded in 1990 by Edilberto Vergara and Nubia Ayure, both descendants of multi-generational coffee growers. The farm spans 16 hectares, though only two were initially planted with coffee. By 1998, the property was fully cultivated — but it wasn’t until 2006, when Nubia placed 16th in the Cup of Excellence, that the family began shifting toward specialty production.

Jhoan was only 15 when he left high school to study coffee production at SENA, a national training program for Colombia’s coffee professionals. He recalls coffee farming once feeling like a punishment — hard labor for falling behind in school — until he discovered deep satisfaction in nurturing plants and stewarding the land. His mother’s passion and belief in experimentation further shaped his future.

“My mom taught me that every profession is an art,” Jhoan says. “If you love something, you study, you practice, you refine — and that’s how you make it your craft.”

Meet the Producer

Today, Jhoan represents the third generation to run the farm, taking over in 2018 when his father retired. Instead of maintaining the high-volume Caturra production the farm was known for, he made the bold decision to diversify into distinct, high-quality varieties.

Alongside his brothers, Carlos and Diego, the Vergaras developed replicable systems for controlled fermentation, solar drying, and flavor preservation. The farm even maintains a microorganism lab to evaluate fermentation influence and improve cup consistency.

Their approach has drawn comparisons to other leaders of Colombia’s modern specialty movement, with Las Flores named among the “holy trinity” of producers alongside Nestor Lasso (El Diviso) and the Gasca brothers (Zarza).

A Rising International Presence

In 2019, Jhoan competed in the Master of Coffee competition in South Korea — serving as both producer and roaster — and took first place against 162 participants. At the auction that followed, his lot earned the highest price.

Since then, Jhoan has emerged as a leader in his region, hosting annual cupping events to help producers compare processing methods and share data — something previously rare in the competitive landscape of Huila coffee farming.

“I’m an open book,” he says. “Sharing knowledge raises the level of Huila, and Colombia as a whole.”

A Vision for the Future

Jhoan hopes to expand Las Flores into a farm that not only produces exceptional coffee, but also teaches it — a place where visitors can learn processing firsthand and understand the complexity behind a single cup.

He acknowledges the challenges facing the next generation of Colombian coffee growers, but remains committed to demonstrating that coffee farming can be a creative, stable, and globally connected career.

“Coffee is my passion,” he says. “When I drink it, I think of every hand and every step that brought it into being. It reminds me that this work matters.”