Higher Grounds Trading Company - Fair Trade and Organic Coffees and Olive Oil

Ground Work: Community Action (part 2 of 3)

2012-01-31T16:31:00.000-05:00

I’ll admit it: I had a fairly bucolic childhood. I grew up in a tiny town (the horsepulling capital of the U.P!), went to a small public school with a low student-to-teacher ratio, had a lot of friends & lots of space to run around & play outside. I was fairly sheltered from the world’s ills, things like violence & drug use, bullying, abusive relationships. I was “normal,” whatever that means. I’ve had a blessed & lucky life.

Obviously, not everyone is so lucky. Children are abused every day, frequently by the people they know & trust. And my “normalcy” had nothing to do with the fact that even I was at risk for such abuse. Consider the startling statistics: one in four girls (1/4) & one in six boys (1/6) will be sexually abused by the age of 18. Only one of those children out of ten will tell anyone.

Think about it another way: nine out of ten abused children will never tell a soul.

Just pondering that makes me feel ill.

Sexual abuse is an issue that’s been, sadly, on the front pages of our newspapers in recent months. The Joe Paterno/Jerry Sandusky/Penn State fiasco has received a ton of coverage, prompting many of us to take a closer look at the world around us & perhaps keep a closer eye on the children in our lives, thinking more about what we could & should be doing to protect them. And a local Traverse City businessman was sentenced to nine years in prison last year after being convicted for criminal sexual conduct with young boys. Furthermore, I’ve been wondering lately if I even would know exactly what to do should I witness such abuse.

You likely already know about On the Ground (OTG), the nonprofit formed by Higher Grounds to work for sustainable development in global farming regions. But as I mentioned in my last blog post, OTG is just one piece of Higher Grounds’ commitment to community.

The Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center (TBCAC) is our area’s first line of defense when it comes to the physical & sexual abuse of children. Recently, Higher Grounds chose TBCAC as an outlet for the social arm of Ground Work, HG’s (newly-named!) community action program.

Here’s TBCAC’s mission:

To protect children by providing prevention & multi-disciplinary intervention in investigation, assessment & treatment of child sexual & physical abuse in an environment that is child sensitive, supportive & safe.

To break it down, TBCAC's multidisciplinary team of counselors, medical professionals, law enforcement, & Health & Human Services officials works together to provide a safe, friendly, & caring environment for children & their parents throughout the difficult investigation & trial processes.

Currently, TBCAC is running a contest for area students, challenging them to create a short film expressing their vision to spark the movement focused on Zero Tolerance for child abuse. The winner will receive a $500 Downtown Traverse City gift certificate. More details here.

Check out TBCAC’s web site and Facebook page for more information about their policies & practices, or call their staff at 231-929-4250 with any questions.

Higher Grounds, collectively, and I, personally, am proud to partner with this important organization & the great people working so hard to make our community safer for children. I have fourteen nieces & nephews. How many kids do you know?

--Jennifer

Community: It’s Greater than You (& bigger than you think)

2012-01-18T15:02:00.000-05:00

What do you think of when I say the word community? Here’s one definition:

community |kəˈmyoōnitē|

1. a group of people living together in one place, esp. one practicing common ownership : a community of nuns.

• all the people living in a particular area or place : local communities.

• a particular area or place considered together with its inhabitants : a rural community.

• the people of a district or country considered collectively, esp. in the context of social values & responsibilities; society: preparing prisoners for life back in the community.

• [as adj.] denoting a worker or resource designed to serve the people of a particular area: community health services.

I’m willing to bet the above definition is in line with what most people would think—that community is about a geographical containment of people, individuals connected by the physical space in which they live. You might think of your neighbors down the street, the other families in your subdivision, or even others you meet in the produce aisle of your local grocery store.

But there are other definitions of community as well. Consider:

2. a group of people having a religion, race, profession, or other particular characteristic in common: Rhode Island's Japanese community | the scientific community.

• a body of nations or states unified by common interests.

(I apologize to any scientists among you who object to this depiction of cartoon figures wearing glasses & lab coats. But the image illustrates my point here.)

In this case, people can belong to a community with others they might never actually meet face to face, people who simply share similar beliefs or interests. You and I, for example, are part of a community centered on coffee. I may never see you in person. I may never even hear your name. Yet we have at least one thing in common: our love for, & interest in, the humble coffee bean.

And try this one:

3. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, & goals: the sense of community that organized religion can provide.

• a similarity or identity: writers who shared a community of interests.

• joint ownership or liability: a commitment to the community of goods.

The common interest that you & I share not only places us in a shared “body” of sorts, but it also evokes certain results, as definition #3 states. There is a sense of community between us. We care about many of the same things. On a basic level, we care about having a positive, high-quality coffee experience, whether at home or in a coffee bar. Taking that sense of community further, you & I share attitudes & goals that translate into action: investing our personal time & often our money into Higher Grounds, a business with a mission we believe in.

What is that mission? Well, you know a little about it (hopefully!) already, having read all about our stance on fair trade. But our mission is manifest all throughout our definition of community, which extends not beyond our immediate surroundings of TC & northern Michigan but throughout them, reaching others who care about & are connected to coffee all over the world.

That last sentence is kind of complicated. But the idea is this:

Higher Grounds’ mission is to engage with & support people doing important work in three major realms: social, environmental, & international. You’ve likely heard the most about the international arm of that mission, On the Ground—which tends to get the most press due to its sometimes-exotic-sounding projects (namely Run Across Ethiopia & Run Across Palestine). Over the next few weeks, I’ll fill you in on the other arms & describe our relationship with two essential Traverse City area organizations, the Michigan Land Use Institute & the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center.

In addition to MLUI, TBCAC, & OTG, here are some more organizations we’ve supported in the past year, by donating money & coffee & hosting benefit concerts in our roastery:

Advent Lutheran Church

Bioneers

Child & Family Services

Disability Network

Fishtown Preservation Society

Third Level Crisis Center

Traverse City Film Festival

Traverse City Fire Fighters

Women’s Resource Center

As part of the Higher Grounds community, you should know about our commitment to supporting projects taking place all throughout the HG world, not just far but close to home as well.

--Jennifer

Maya Vinic, Here We Come!

2012-01-06T15:40:00.000-05:00

If you read the series on fair trade that wrapped up a few weeks back, you’ll remember that I mentioned the annual delegations HG sends to the cooperatives where our coffee is grown. Tomorrow, the first trip of 2012 commences: Chris Treter (owner), Phil Hamburg (sales guru), & Karin Thompson (new head roaster) fly to Mexico to visit the Maya Vinic Cooperative, birthplace of HG’s flagship coffee. And if you’ve been a loyal HG blog reader for even longer, you may recall Chris’ report of his trip there back in September.

Chris, Phil & Karin will participate in meetings with Cooperative Coffees, our importing coffee co-op, but even more exciting (yes, more exciting than meetings!) is their delivery of coffee brewing equipment for Maya Vinic’s new café in San Cristobal de las Casas—a grand opening made possible in part by the direct social premium HG pays per pound of Maya Vinic beans. In 2011, that premium adds up to more than $5000: perhaps not a whole lot by the standards of America’s 1%, but a sum that goes a long way for our friends in Mexico. Their café will be a sustainable means of promoting Maya Vinic’s coffee in their own region as well as a way to help supplement the farmers’ income during the rest of the year (since the coffee-growing season only lasts about four months).

HG’s current crop of Maya Vinic coffee marks the 10^th anniversary harvest we’ve purchased from that same co-op. Much celebration will take place among friends in the spirit of long-term, mutually beneficial relationships. This trip combines business & pleasure in the best of ways.

What’s more, On the Ground just finished the water project that is supplying Acteal—Maya Vinic’s headquarters—with water for all houses & public spaces. The cohort from HG will be stopping in to check in on that progress as well.

Yes, I've already used this picture on the blog (back in September). But it's just so gorgeous. Maybe someday I'll get to be part of an HG delegation too.

Stay tuned for a report of the trip next week!

--Jennifer

It’s Not Just For Drinking Anymore

2011-12-27T16:22:00.001-05:00

I love a great cup of coffee, straight up. Occasionally I’ll add cream, & sometimes I'll even indulge in a little sugar or a splash of HG's house-made ginger or vanilla syrup. But the truth is, there’s a lot more you can do with your HG coffee beans than simply grind & brew. I’ve discovered a few excellent recipes that make use of coffee differently. As Marcel the Shell says, read on!

Nieman Marcus Cookies

I’ve made a few small edits to this recipe, though you can find versions of it (and even an urban legend) all over the Internet. While the amount of coffee in these cookies is admittedly small, they wouldn’t be nearly as delicious without it. And of course, use organic ingredients when possible. I like to bake just one pan & pre-form & flash-freeze the rest, so I can pull a few at a time & bake them as needed.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
3 T. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. HG Mayan Magic Espresso, ground on the finest setting
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Beat the butter & sugars on medium speed (or with some elbow grease if mixing by hand) for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla for 30 seconds longer, until well combined.

3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Add these dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mix & beat slowly until fully incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips & coffee, & mix for 15 seconds longer.

4. Drop the dough onto a lightly-greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet in 2-tablespoon-size dollops about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into 2-inch circles; there should be room on the sheet for six or eight cookies at a time. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the top of each cookie.

5. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until the cookies are nicely browned around the edges. Bake for a little longer for crisper cookies, or shorter if you’ve made your cookies smaller.

Kahlua

You can go to the store and buy a bottle for $25, or you can make your own at home (with organic ingredients!) for a lot less. Make a double batch & pour into pretty little bottles for holiday gifts – you’ll be everyone’s favorite cousin in no time. Again, there are several recipes floating around on the interwebs, but I chose to make this one because, well, it was the least complicated. And the result was delicious.

Ingredients:

3 c. organic cane sugar

3 c. brewed Higher Grounds coffee (I used Justice Blend, but your favorite will do)

3 c. organic vodka (I used Prairie, made in Minnesota)

3 tsp. organic vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk sugar into the coffee. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat & simmer for several minutes, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat. When cool, stir in vodka & vanilla. Voila!

As the above recipes prove, coffee is a great complement to sweet flavors, but savory dishes can also benefit from its rich & earthy undertones. Here’s a recipe I haven’t tried but plan to very soon.

Late Night Coffee Brined Chicken

1 4-5 lb whole organic chicken

2 1/2 T. brown sugar

1 1/2 T. unsalted butter

2 c. milk

For the brine:

1/2 liter hot, freshly brewed HG coffee

3 oz. kosher salt

2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
3 star anise
1 tsp. whole cloves
2 navel oranges, halved
15 oz. ice

1. Combine salt, peppercorns, star anise, & cloves in a small pot. Lightly crush spices with the back of a large spoon. Squeeze orange halves over mixture, & then add halves. Pour hot coffee over mixture, stir, & cover pot with lid. Allow brine to steep for ten minutes.

2. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry, removing giblets & neck. Place chicken in a 2 gallon sized zip lock or other plastic bag.

3. Place the ice in a large bowl. Add coffee brine & stir until ice melts. Pour brine in bag with chicken (including oranges), seal, & allow mixture to sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Then pat chicken dry & let it dry out for an hour in a bowl placed in the refrigerator.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

5. Remove chicken from refrigerator, pat dry & rub both sides with brown sugar.

6. Heat butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown chicken on both sides. Add milk, cover, & transfer to oven. Cook for an hour with the lid. Remove lid. Continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees.

7. Pull meat off the bones & serve with wilted greens and rice. Be sure to spoon some of the sauce over the meat, if desired.

I’ve also seen several recipes for chili that call for a splash of coffee – sounds like a great idea to me. If you have coffee recipe ideas to try, drop me a line so I can give them a try & share them with everyone else. Happy Holidays all around!

--Jennifer

Gifts for Coffee Lovers

2011-12-20T14:28:00.000-05:00

If you wrap your gifts this beautifully, you are my hero.
Photo courtesy of katiebrownblog.com.

Last week I talked about a handful of holiday gift items available in our coffee bar. But only one of those items was coffee-related. Now it’s time to dig a little deeper into the realm of gifts for your coffee-obsessed friends. For your ~~amusement~~ convenience, I’ve categorized said friends accordingly:

1. The one-cup-a-day drinker.

I’m actually in this category myself, at least when it comes to at-home sipping. For folks who just drink a single cup of coffee at a time, for reasons ranging from living solo to simply being the ~~smartest~~ sole coffee drinker in the household, there exists a handful of excellent brewpots for single-cup coffee preparation:

12-oz Bodum French press: $17. Brew time: 3 minutes. Result: a bold, viscous brew.

Bodum travel French press: $20-23 (plastic), or $30 (stainless). Same method & time, packaged in a cup to go.

AeroPress: $30. Brew time: 1-2 minutes. Result: fairly close to espresso. Add water for an Americano, milk for a latte, or sip straight up.

Stovetop moka pot: $30. Brew time: 5+ minutes. Result: between espresso & Turkish, with the rich mouthfeel of French-pressed & the bold punch of espresso.

15-oz Chemex: $30. Brew time: 5+ minutes. Result: akin to auto-drip, at a lower temperature, which releases more nuanced flavors.

Stainless insulated 12-oz Bodum French press: $50. Same result as your standard French press, but this sleek pot will keep your brew hot longer.

2. The small-scale sharer.

For brewing more than just one cup but less than a whole auto-drip pot, my favorite method is the French press. The 34-oz version ($20 for glass, $80 for insulated stainless) produces about two average-sized cups—perfect with breakfast for two. The 64-oz pot ($25 glass, $100 stainless) gives you about four of those cups, so it’s good for either two thirsty friends or four less-eager sippers.

At first glance, the stainless ones seem pricey, I know. But for the combination of extra insulation (if you’re not going to drink it all right away) & sleek good looks (classy!), I think they’re worth the premium chunk of change.

Another option for more than one serving is the 40-oz Chemex ($36). Only slightly more labor intensive than a French press (since it requires a slower, more precise pour of hot water over the grounds), the Chemex method boasts a cleaner result, because it filters out the sediment & oils that remain in French-pressed coffee. Those who are used to traditional auto-drip brewing will likely prefer the Chemex.

3. The party host(ess).

When I need large quantities of java, I go for a percolator. Unfortunately, we don’t sell one in the coffee bar, but I’m willing to bet your local Goodwill or Salvation Army has a couple on the shelf. And usually, the older ones work just fine, as long as they have all their requisite parts & have been kept clean.

But since we’re talking gifts here, your best bet for the quality-concerned host is the largest French press (64 oz). Brew a few pots in advance of the party & pour them through a sieve (to avoid clogging the spigot--sorry, couldn't find a photo to show this, but you're a smartie so you can figure it out!) into an insulated thermos or an airpot, & the coffee will stay hot for a few hours. But my auto-drip brewer keeps the coffee hot, you might say, as long as I leave the burner on. Here’s the problem, friend: that burner scorches your brew, tinging your coffee with over-cooked bitterness. And if you’re the type who’s okay with warming up your coffee in the microwave, well, I guess I have nothing to say to you.

4. Accoutrement.

For any & all of these folks, accessories beyond the brewpots themselves abound. My favorite from the HG collection is the Airscape canister, a brushed-stainless storage vessel designed to keep air & light away from your beans. This baby has two covers: one inside, to press down onto the surface of the coffee, & of course the airtight lid on top. At $23, the Airscape is a fine investment that will lengthen the freshness of those ever-sensitive beans.

If you don’t have any coffee-obsessed friends, then go ahead and categorize yourself. Got it? Good: now you know what to put at the top of your own wish list.

Joy & peace,

Jennifer

The Holiday Clock is Ticking!

2011-12-13T16:07:00.002-05:00

I’ll be honest. I haven’t done a lick of holiday shopping yet. Here we are with only eleven shopping days until Christmas, & all of a sudden I’ve realized how incredibly behind I am. Sure, I don’t have that many people to buy for—my husband, a handful of immediate family, a couple of my closest friends, & a Secret Santa gift—but even so, I’d better get cracking.

Luckily, I have a host of uber-cool gifts to choose from, waiting for my perusal just down the hall in the HG coffee bar. Here are some of the fairly traded items (plus one coffee-lover's must-have) I’ve been eyeing up:

Animal hats for kids, from Minga Imports. I’m not going to lie; I wish my head were just a teensy bit smaller so I could fit into one of these babies. (image) The most likely recipient, though, is my godson Caleb, who recently moved to Texas. Sorry kiddo, your new home doesn’t get nearly cold enough to justify a fuzzy tiger hat.

Palestinian cuisine by Canaan Fair Trade. A mission-based Palestinian fair trade company, Canaan seeks to empower small, marginalized, conflict-ridden Palestinian producer communities through organic agricultural production & fair trade. Also, these olives ROCK.

Fingerless gloves by Partners for Just Trade. I love the mustard-colored ones in particular (not pictured here), & they’re super soft. What’s extra cool is that PJT builds partnerships between producers living in extreme poverty & consumers in North America, helping to address the root causes of poverty through fair trade sales, education, solidarity & a commitment to trade justice.

Giraffe keychain by Swahili Imports. A perfect stocking stuffer! Since 1994, Swahili Imports has been building a network of artisans across Africa, focusing on fair & sustainable profit generation; artisan advancement; & modern, earth-friendly product development.

Baby rattles by Yellow Label Kids. Lordy, these are cute. Luckily my best friend is having a baby soon, so even though it’s not a Christmas gift, I had an excuse to buy one (a carrot!). The creator wanted an alternative to mass-produced, commercial toys & clothing: items that would celebrate the beauty & simplicity of childhood. She joined with global artisans, mostly mothers themselves, who earn living wages from the handcrafts they produce: whimsical products with minimal packaging, made with sustainable, natural & non-toxic materials. Awesome.

Bodum Bistro burr grinder. I already have a burr grinder at home, but I know a lot of people whose at-home brewing would benefit from the uniform grind that burrs provide. Sure, $100 is a bit pricey, but can you really afford to drink ~~sub-par~~ coffee that’s not meeting its full flavor potential? I got one for my brother a couple years ago & I’m confident he’d agree that it’s changed his life. Seriously! Ask your friendly neighborhood HG barista why you (er--your friends--since this is a gift, after all... right?) need one of these excellent products.

Okay, all this shopping talk has gotten me in the mood to browse. I’m off to start crossing names off my list. How about you? See you in the coffee bar soon!

--Jennifer

Field to Cup: Going Beyond Fair Trade (Part 5)

2011-12-06T22:07:00.003-05:00

Dear readers, it’s time for me to show you our boots.

That probably doesn’t make sense to you at the moment. Don’t worry—it will.

You’ve heard me say that Higher Grounds is not your typical coffee company. We weren’t built because someone wanted to make a profit, & we don’t believe that simply slapping a “fair trade” sticker on our coffee bags makes us a good company. In fact, fair trade doesn’t even begin to describe our philosophy.

Higher Grounds believes that the finest coffees are grown by the best of friends. That’s right: friends. I don’t use that term loosely. While I may occasionally insert a “my friends” here & there in this blog, you & I don’t have the kind of relationship that Higher Grounds has with our growers. I don’t know your name; I’ve never been to your house.

HG knows our growers. We go to the farms; we meet with the growers--even if that means traveling dirt roads, past washed-out bridges, through riverbeds & up mountainsides (as we did in Nicaragua). We sit around their tables & drink coffee together, talking about the best ways to keep their farms sustainable & profitable. But you’re a business! you might say. Don’t you want to keep yourself sustainable & profitable? Well, sure. But we’re not so worried about ourselves. Our friends in coffee-growing regions, like those pictured to the right with Chris in Mexico, have long struggled to stay afloat—small-scale coffee farming isn’t exactly a lucrative livelihood. Coffee farmers put in countless hours for an average yearly income of less than $300: that’s less than 2% of what a full-time worker on minimum wage in the U.S. makes in a year. Go ahead, read that again. It’s worth your attention. $300 is pocket change compared to what many of us spend per year on coffee alone[i]. (Those two $3 lattes a week? Take a second to appreciate the luxury.)

Global fair trade standards dictate a “living wage” for these farmers, which means they’re guaranteed a certain price for their product despite fluctuation in the market. But that price isn’t enough. It’s not enough for families to afford access to clean water. Not enough for children of growers to attend school. Not enough to implement sustainable methods & develop communities with models for growth, not just models for hanging on by a thread.

Higher Grounds goes beyond fair trade to be direct & long-term in our relationships (with people, not just company names on paper) & transparent in all our business transactions. You can go to fairtradeproof.org & follow the path each of our beans travels from field to cup. And you can trust us to work for growers’ benefits far beyond what that minimum standard can provide.

For example, Maya Vinic in Mexico is the first cooperative we purchased from when we opened our doors, and they’re still our biggest producing partner. And each year, before harvest, we pay a 15 cent per pound social premium to the cooperative above the contracted price. The cooperative tells us how the funds will be used, and there must be a benefit to the overall structure of the cooperative to support the sustainable livelihoods of its growers.

In the past, Maya Vinic has used the premiums to build a restaurant, replace the engine in the truck they use to collect coffee from producers, & purchase land for an organic test plot to learn the best methods for producing coffee organically. This year, they’re using the funds to open a cafe in the city of San Cristobal de Las Casas (pictured below). The cafe will enable producers to highlight their product domestically & bolster national sales – the best way for producers to get the highest price for their coffees.

To maintain a framework for our international projects, we formed On the Ground as our nonprofit wing. One tagline attached to OTG is “Get your boots on”: an appeal to our friends & neighbors to get involved & be part of our mission.

Our work here is holistic: not only do we travel physically around the world helping global communities make beneficial changes (via On the Ground), our mission takes place here in our community as well. We believe our profits belong in the hardworking hands of local environmental organizations like the Michigan Land Use Institute and the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Center, local social-justice-driven groups like the Traverse Bay Community Advocacy Coalition, & globally-focused nonprofits like On the Ground. We work hard not only to provide you with the best cup of coffee around but to provide support for solidarity & development, locally & globally, through our Coffees for Change line & other projects.

FairTradeUSA has defended its recent withdrawal from FLO by arguing that the benefits from working with large scale plantations and trans-national corporations will trickle down to marginalized farmers. Echoing Cooperative Coffees’ stance[ii], HG “categorically rejects” that theory.

We’ve heard about “trickle down economics” before. Progress doesn’t happen that way. Prosperity is built from the ground up, & in order to achieve real change & real benefits for our small-scale coffee-producing friends, we need to get our hands dirty. We need to work with people not just on paper but by meeting human beings with faces & names, learning their stories & lifting them up out of their struggles.

Here at HG, we’ve got our boots on. And we always hit the ground running.

--Jennifer & Chris

[i] http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/producers/coffee/oromia_coffee_farmers_cooperative_ethiopia/default.aspx

[ii] http://coopcoffees.com/committees/fair-trade-task-force/navigating-fair-trade/coop-coffees-position-on-fair-trade

Field to Cup: Going Beyond Fair Trade (Part 4)

2011-11-29T15:32:00.001-05:00

You’ve probably figured out by now, unless ~~you’ve been living in a cave~~ this is your first visit to our blog, that Higher Grounds isn’t your typical business. And we’re not even close to being your typical coffee company.

Most coffee-centered businesses are started by entrepreneurs who happen to like coffee. I can even imagine myself experiencing a thought process that might go something like this:

Wouldn’t it be fun to have my own business? I could be my own boss! That sounds great. Now, what’s something I like enough to sell to other people? Hmm… how about coffee? I love coffee! I think it’d be gnarly to hang out in a coffee shop all day & ~~tell people what to do~~ share my love of coffee with other people. And I could ~~get rich~~ earn a living doing it!

But Higher Grounds was borne out of something else entirely. Here’s the story:

Two Michigan natives spent a year living & working in the coffee-growing region of Chiapas, Mexico. When the year was up, they asked the coffee farmers how they could continue their support, even from as far away as Michigan. “Sell our coffee,” said the farmers. So that’s exactly what they did. They brought that unique relationship they formed with the farmers in Mexico to their coffee-loving friends in Michigan, & coffee beans from Chiapas made their way to the tiny original roastery in Leelanau County.

That close friendship we formed with the farmers in Chiapas serves as a model for our interactions with all our coffee suppliers. The ultimate goal, unlike for most businesses, is not to make a profit. Yes, of course we need to pay our bills & pay our employees, & as we continue to grow, there’s more capital involved. But our motivation lies on higher ground. (Like that pun? I’m so clever.) We don’t just buy beans from around the world: we’re committed to paying farmers not only a fair price for their beans but a premium on top of the global fair-trade standard, so our coffee-growing friends can do more than cover their costs. We want them to come out on top. (The standard import model of Buy Low & Sell High? Not our style.) And they truly are our friends: we meet the farmers face-to-face when annual Higher Grounds delegations visit coffee-growing communities. We also donate our time, money, & coffee to local & global grassroots initiatives.

What’s more, Higher Grounds founded a community-based nonprofit, On the Ground, to partner with organizations & communities to encourage sustainable development in global farming regions. We love providing our customers with opportunities to create social change.

So that’s our philosophy & our mission. But there are other forces at work in our world, forces that often complicate & challenge that mission. As I explained throughout the three other posts in this series, the fair trade movement has recently been bombarded with controversy. Next week, in the final installment, I’ll fill you in on exactly what HG is doing in the face of that controversy in order to stay true to our mission & maintain solidarity with our farming friends around the world.

Field to Cup: Going Beyond Fair Trade (part 3)

2011-11-08T14:22:00.015-05:00

Okay, people. Time for the nitty-gritty. You’ve gotten the background, the history, some teasers. Now let’s get down to business.

I’d like to clear one thing up first. Many people interchange the terms fair trade & free trade. They’re not the same thing. Free trade is a policy in which governments agree not to tax imports or subsidize exports, for the mutual benefit of both parties. Prices under free trade are determined by supply & demand, & free trade implies open access to markets & market information.

While it may certainly coexist with free trade, fair trade is something else altogether. Fair trade is a movement with the primary aim of helping small-scale producers in developing countries work towards sustainable farming & business practices as well as improving trading conditions. Fair trade advocates paying higher prices to producers & raising the bar for environmental & social standards. (Check out Wikipedia’s pages on both terms for further explanation.)

And one more definition. Greenwashing is a term you’ll hear tossed around here and there, often by environmentally-conscious folks who are fed up with how trendy it’s become to be “green.” You know how hotel rooms frequently have those little cards in the bathroom promoting reuse of your towels in the name of “saving the environment”? Actually, the hotel industry isn’t really reducing energy waste very much: it’s a clever ploy to make a good impression on customers. That’s greenwashing: an act that appears to be environmentally conscientious (& might even be, just on a tiny scale) but is actually motivated by the desire for increased profit. (Take a second and think about the color of BP's logo. Coincidence? Hmm.)

Now that we’ve gotten the terminology straight...

Last week, I concluded by pointing my crooked little finger & calling out TransFair, the U.S. branch of Fairtrade International (FLO, formerly the Fairtrade Labeling Organization) & the certifier for brands such as Starbucks & Ben & Jerry’s, for greenwashing. Here’s some more of that story:

In February of this year, TransFair changed its name to Fair Trade USA, applying for trademarks of that name & the term “Fair Trade Certified.” This move is a blatant attempt to exclusively brand a term that is supposed to encompass the whole fair trade movement. Some brands, such as Avon & Hain, use a very small percentage (as low as 2%) of certified fair trade ingredients in their products but are still able to take advantage of the “Fair Trade Certified” ingredient seal—the same seal you see on products that use a majority or even 100% certified fair trade components. Also, TransFair gets the same licensing fee whether a company uses a minimum or maximum percentage of those ingredients. A label that used to carry a strong message has been watered down to represent—well, not much. What’s more, these companies benefit from the marketing while not actually engaging in the kind of socially-just, sustainable, & environmentally-conscious business practices that define the fair trade movement. TransFair’s profit-driven act essentially represents its divorce from that global movement. As of December 31, 2011, Fair Trade USA officially resigns its membership in FLO.

A few 100% fair trade companies you may have heard of—Equal Exchange, Theo Chocolate, & Dr. Bronner—use a label from Fair for Life, a program of the Institute for Market Ecology (IMO), instead. This label is only allowed on products with a majority of fair trade ingredients.

There are other fully committed fair trade organizations out there too, like the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), which screens applicants vigorously & only accepts dedicated Alternative Trading Organizations (ATOs). Higher Grounds is a member of FTF, & our coffee is absolutely-always-with-no-exception-100%-fair-trade.

On our packaging, you'll also see the logo for Cooperative Coffees (an importing co-op of community-based coffee roasters committed to fair trade relationships) & their "Fair Trade Proof" stamp. Go to fairtradeproof.org & click on Higher Grounds in the drop-down menu to see the contracts, cupping evaluations, bills of lading, & invoices that track our business relationships with each of our coffee suppliers. Now that's transparency.

So. What does all this mean for you, as a savvy & well-intended consumer? Here’s my best advice: read labels. Now that I’ve given you the skinny on what they all mean, you’ll know what you’re looking at—and what you should be looking for. If you see TransFair’s—oops, Fair Trade USA’s—logo, keep in mind that what you see may not be what you get. (Their new logo is on the right.) Check ingredient lists, & read up on the companies you support, so you can be informed about who’s greenwashing & who’s truly doing the good work that’s worth your hard-earned money.

Higher Grounds believes fair trade should be about building face-to-face relationships with the farmers who grow our coffee & that these relationships should be mutually beneficial, not just profitable for first-world corporations. Next week, I'll fill you in on what we're doing to uphold & encourage equitable, transparent policies while supporting the real people whose life's work is to produce our favorite beverage.

Want to join the conversation, or just have a question about this whole rigmarole that you'd like me to address on this blog? Drop a line to jennifer@highergroundstrading.com. I'd love to hear from you!

--Jennifer

References:

“Joint Announcement from Fairtrade International and Fair Trade USA.” Fairtrade International. fairtrade.net, 15 Sep 2011. Web. 8 Nov 2011.

“Over 9,900 Upset Consumers Tell Fair Trade Certifier 'No Thanks' on Name Change.” Organic Consumers Association. organicconsumers.org, 14 Feb 2011. Web. 8 Nov 2011.

Robinson, Phyllis. “To Tell the Truth: Who Owns Fair Trade?” Small Farmers. Big Change. Equal Exchange. http://smallfarmersbigchange.coop/2011/02/01/to-tell-the-truth-who-owns-fair-trade-2/. 1 Feb 2011. Web. 8 Nov 2011.

Field to Cup: Going Beyond Fair Trade (part 2)

2011-11-01T15:37:00.004-04:00

As promised, after a few weeks of ~~dilly-dallying around with~~ exploring the fine art of latte-crafting, I’m ready to dive back into the sticky issue of fair trade. Part 1 of this series concluded with some words from the Fair World Project, addressing Fair Trade USA’s decision to leave the larger Fairtrade International. That’s a whole lot of “fair” being tossed around in one sentence. My job in this segment is to provide an introduction. In order to understand the recent developments, it’s helpful to learn the back story.

First, some history.

Back in the 1960s and ‘70s, several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) & some concerned individuals across Asia, Africa, & Latin America discovered a need: many producers of goods sold on the international market were very poor (as is still the case today), & they rarely got advice or support for their livelihoods. So the NGOs got together to create a handful of fair trade organizations, & they established relationships between them—relationships “based on partnership, dialogue, transparency, and respect” (Kocken).

At first, fair trade was most often associated with development trade, responding to poverty & disaster in southern regions & focusing on craft products. The NGOs helped establish fair trade groups in those regions, organizing & providing social services to producers there, & facilitating exports from politically- and economically-marginalized countries.

As the fair trade model became more & more successful, it spread to other regions, including Europe. In 1973, a group in the Netherlands began importing fairly-traded coffee from cooperatives in Guatemala. In the ‘80s, a Mexican priest with connections to both small coffee farmers & a Dutch NGO came up with the idea of a label for these fair trade products, to set them apart from other products on the shelf, & to give any company the opportunity to get involved in fair trade. The concept was a hit, & within a year of its debut, coffee labeled as “fair trade” had a market share of nearly 3 percent.

Similar non-profit labeling organizations were born across Europe & North America, & in 1997, Fairtrade Labeling International (FLO) was established to set international fair trade standards, certify production, audit trade, & label fair trade products. The latter has been a boon for mainstream fair trade business.

Then came the chain.

Beginning with the Netherlands’ group, alternative trade organizations (ATOs) in Western Europe, along with their NGO allies, began building relationships with small-scale coffee farmers, who previously had been exploited by mid-level traders (buy low, sell high—the standard model for profit—doesn’t generally work out so well for the little guy). The goal was to strengthen democratically-controlled coffee co-ops & build their capacity so any surplus would stay with the farmers. The co-ops also had a lot to learn: sustainable processing methods (to control the flow of their product into processors), successful business models (to avoid further exploitation & achieve profit), quality control, import/export systems, & internal education for their members. The people investing in this movement—“mission-driven traders, nonprofits, & visionary co-ops” according to Rink Dickinson, co-founder & co-president of Equal Exchange—weren’t in it for the money: there was no money.

The trade organizations had a lot to learn too, things like strategies for importing & quality standards. They also needed roasters who would be sympathetic to the fair trade cause & work with them on reasonable terms, & distributors & consumers who were interested in supporting small farmers. There were many challenges in getting the coffee supply chain going, & the process took a lot of patience from people willing to take risks. But by the late 1980s, the system was running smoothly—ready to take on another level of business in the U.S.

Growth means change.

It took a while to build alternative trade here in the States, where we didn’t have a giant network of people & organizations already familiar with the notion of fair trade (as in Europe). But as Europe grew, more producers entered fair trade networks, & the fair trade seals spread further. Conversations kept happening, particularly spurred on by Equal Exchange, one of the first fair-trade focused worker-owned co-ops in the U.S. And demand for specialty coffee, a product with a high profit margin, kept growing – so companies like Equal Exchange could afford to keep paying farmers a premium (much higher than the average world price) for their coffee.

In 1998, a U.S. nonprofit called TransFair USA was founded to negotiate terms between international coffee producers and stateside sellers. By this time, the coffee supply chain had strengthened to the point that product capacity had grown larger than the ATOs. So farmers, together with their allies, expanded the system to bring larger commercial companies into the fold, maintaining terms that the small farmers could work with. Many companies began to see the benefits that fair trade labels could provide, since U.S. consumers had a growing interest in supporting small farmers.

The motivation for this expansion was honorable: creating more opportunities for growth of fair trade practices. Higher Grounds was Michigan's first 100% organic & fair trade coffee roasting company. Since 2002, we've imported all of our coffees through Cooperative Coffees, the only 100% fair trade importing cooperative in the country. Yet even as we grew & spread our commitment to fair trade standards, the larger "fair trade" industry got watered down: a company could source just a small portion of its products from fair trade suppliers & still use TransFair USA’s fair trade logo. Through this “green washing,” control of the fair trade system began to shift into the hands of bureaucrats & multinational companies. That’s where the controversy begins.

So that’s where I'll pick up next week. Stay tuned!

--Jennifer

References:

Dickinson, Rink, and Phyllis Robinson, ed. “An Analysis of Fair Trade: Reflections from a Founder (Part II).” Small Farmers. Big Change. 24 Oct 2011. Equal Exchange. Web. 1 Nov 2011.

Kocken, Marlike. “Sixty Years of Fair Trade: A Brief History of the Fair Trade Movement.” European Fair Trade Organization. Nov 2006. Web. Available: www.european-fair-trade-association.org/efta/Doc/History.pdf. 1 Nov 2011.

Get Your Art On

2011-10-25T11:54:00.001-04:00

If you read last week’s post, you’ll remember that for all my good intentions, I didn’t quite make it to the part about how you make your espresso drinks pretty. The rosetta is a hallmark of barista achievement, to be sure—not to say you can’t have a delicious drink that doesn’t look like a work of art, but aesthetics certainly contribute to the overall experience. (Full disclosure: the photo above is not my own work of art. I got it by searching Google images.)

I didn’t learn how to pour artfully until just a few years ago, when a previous employer paid for me to take a latte art class at the industry trade show Coffee Fest in Seattle. Coffee Fest was a wonderland for coffee nerds like me, with rows & rows of booths offering samples of anything & everything you could think of with a connection to the world of coffee & tea: cookies, candies, bottled drinks, even shots of espresso & free crafted-to-order beverages. And for a couple hours in the middle of that whirlwind Saturday, I got to hunker down in a room with about ten other eager baristas to learn about the coveted rosetta.

In order to accurately describe the process for you, I must return to the issue of milk. A few hints & rules of thumb:

1. Your milk should be fresh, as cold as possible, & ideally organic, from local, grass-fed cows. It’s a good idea to keep your clean stainless milk pitchers in the fridge (or even freezer) when they’re not in use: super-cold milk means you’ll have as long as possible to manipulate the steaming process without scalding the liquid. (All you fans of “extra-hot” lattes out there, I don’t know how you do it. Your tongues must be made of asbestos. And your poor taste buds! Sorry.)

2. Never re-steam milk. Measure what you need carefully (or get really good at eyeballing) so you don’t steam more than necessary for the drink at hand. If you end up with extra, mix up a little hot cocoa or a steamer & offer it to that hungry-looking chap over there in the corner. Or your spouse. I don’t care who gets it. You could even keep a stash in the fridge & use it when you make pancakes. But don’t re-heat it for my latte.

3. If you can, steam your milk & pull your shots at the same time. I know, last week I said to steam your milk first, but once you get in the barista groove, the simultaneous coordination is worth the effort. Assembling the drink right away means that the milk will stay all nice & creamy throughout; it won’t settle out into pure liquid on the bottom & pure airy foam on the top (unless you want a dry cappuccino, in which case this separation is ideal). You want the thick, velvety consistency of melted ice cream that is essential for successful latte art pouring.

Okay. Now I can tell you how to pour the rosetta. Or I can try. I promise I’ll give it my best effort.

So you have your fresh shots, which have been pulled just seconds ago into a fairly low, wide mug.

You have your steamed milk, just barely off the steam wand (or if it’s been sitting a few seconds while the shots finished, give it a gentle stir to re-incorporate the air throughout). It should look like the image on the right: no bubbles!

Start pouring—slowly—at the edge of the cup, from a few inches above. I’m right handed, so I hold the cup in my left hand & the pitcher in my right. As though the cup were a clock face, think of the handle as 6:00. Pour to 3:00. (To add some confusion just for fun, the photos below are obviously not from my perspective, though that is me making the drink. I suppose you could turn your computer upside down or stand on your head if that helps.)

When the cup is about half full, drop the pitcher down to just above the surface of the liquid. You should see a circle of white forming at the center. Keep pouring slowly & steadily, & move the spout to the middle of the drink.

Next comes the tricky part:

Ever so subtly, move your wrist back & forth. I mean subtly, people—someone standing a few feet away shouldn’t be able to see the wiggle. This action is what creates the striations or petals. The subtler your wiggle, the finer the striations (or the skinnier the petals).

As you wiggle (as I write this, the word wiggle is starting to look & sound awfully silly), move the stream of milk back from the center to your original 3:00 spot. Once you reach the edge, carefully draw a straight line back through the center (from 3:00 to 9:00). This line creates the “stem” or the point of the rosetta.

Voila! There you have it, a beautifully-crafted drink that will draw oohs & ahhs all around.

Okay, so mine turned out a little lopsided today. But still, not too shabby.

Happy barista-ing,

Jennifer

Latte Art: it’s not just about the rosetta

2011-10-18T11:58:00.001-04:00

(I know, I promised you Part 2 of the Fair Trade series. But never fear; it’s coming next week. Really. For now, you get to hear about another passion of mine: The Perfect Drink. Warning: this post is sort of long. I have a lot to say on this subject.)

I’ve been making espresso drinks for a lot of years now. Wherever I’ve worked, I seem to attract a reputation for putting together a mighty fine beverage whenever espresso & milk are involved (not to pat myself on the back or anything, but…okay, maybe a little). Over the years, I’ve picked up various methods for perfecting all the ~~fussy~~ minute elements of the process, from grinding/measuring/tamping to incorporating just the right amount of air into the milk as it heats up, resulting in a velvety-smooth surface without a bubble in sight. I’m telling you: while it may come easily to me now, the learning curve was steep. But with advisory counsel from regional corporate managers with ~~annoyingly~~ ~~ridiculously~~ high standards to café owners concerned that customers experience a delicious level of consistency in their beverages from day to day or barista to barista, I learned. And I’ve come to appreciate—perhaps even more than the fussiest boss I’ve ever had—a beautiful drink that tastes exactly the same every single time.

So how does it work? I thought you’d never ask.

There are several factors to be concerned about when it comes to consistent drink-crafting. Here are a few*:

(*If you’ve never been [or never plan to be] a barista, and/or if you’re not familiar with some of the terminology here, I apologize – this blog may be less interesting to you. But if you stick with it, you might learn a thing or two!)

1. Humidity. That’s right: the weather can turn all your efforts to naught. Coffee for espresso should be ground almost as finely as possible (not the finest setting—that’s reserved for Turkish). But when there’s more moisture in the air than usual, that fine grind might be a little too fine, since that moisture makes the grounds stick together even more, resulting in a shot that packs too tightly, pulls too slowly & ends up over-sharp & bitterly tart. A conscientious barista pays attention to how long the shots are taking & adjusts the grind (usually by rotating the neck of the grinder just above the burrs) accordingly.

2. Dose & Tamp. This is the part of the process that is actually missing from a lot of coffee bars. Not that it doesn’t happen—it just happens automatically. Some fancy-pants grinders do the dosing and tamping for you, & in a high-volume bar, that can be pretty handy. But the problem is that many baristas don’t learn how to dose or tamp properly. Here’s how:

Fill the portafilter with coffee so that it mounds just a little over the top. Holding the portafilter over your knock box, use your finger or the side of your hand to level off the coffee at the top edge of the portafilter, distributing the coffee evenly. Set the portafilter on a flat surface, ideally on a rubber mat. Gently drop your tamper down onto the grounds, then lift it out briefly & tap the front side of the portafilter with the back end of the tamper (to settle the grounds & fill in any air pockets). Back on the flat surface, replace the tamper in the portafilter, & push down with about 30-40 pounds of pressure. Too hard, and you’ll pack too tightly, ending up with the same problems as with a too-fine grind. Too light, and the water will rush through, not extracting enough flavor from the coffee as the shot pulls. Brush off any straggling grounds from the top edge of the portafilter (so you get a clean seal with the group head), and don’t waste any time getting it into the group to pull your shot.

Intelligentsia has a great video detailing this process, and it pretty closely matches my description above—check it out here. (My only complaint: the guy says “the reason is because.” Redundant! Come on, people.)

3. Timing. With every step, timing is important. The whole business should only take a minute or two, so each step happens quickly. The most common error I’ve seen is a delay between putting the portafilter in the group head and actually pulling the shot. That group head is HOT, friends--believe you me, I’ve been burned a few times—and it will burn your coffee before you even brew it. You want that hot water to start moving through your grounds immediately. Your shot should pull in 20-30 seconds. If your shot glasses fill up before that, it’s an indication of some inconsistency in one of the previous steps.

Keep in mind that once your shot is pulled, its quality starts diminishing immediately, so it should be used (drank or mixed) ASAP. A straight shot tastes different even after sitting out for as little as ten seconds. So if you’re making a latte (or something else with steamed milk), steam your milk first, then pull your shot. The milk will hold its temperature a lot longer than the espresso will hold its deliciousness.

With timing in mind, I suppose it would have made more sense for me to explain how to steam milk first, before ~~rambling on~~ educating you about the fine points of shot-pulling. Ah, well.

4. Steaming Milk. Notice it’s not just about heating the milk. Yes, the milk gets hot—but it also increases in volume, because we’re incorporating air into it. You’ve all heard this happen: the distinctive gurgle and whirr when a barista unleashes the power of the steam wand into a pitcher of milk. The success of this step is dependent upon the attention paid to what’s happening inside that pitcher. (I’ve seen many a barista set the pitcher on the espresso machine and walk away while it steams. This offends my quality-obsessed barista sensibilities to no end.) If the tip of the wand is too far down into the milk, not enough air (or even none at all) will be forced into the milk, and you’ll end up with zero foam. (To be fair, some customers prefer a “flat” latte—that means without foam.) If the tip is too close to the surface of the milk, too much air will come in (that’s when the process gets noisier than necessary) & you’ll have a pitcher full of giant air bubbles. Yuck.

The goal is for a small, steady stream of air to be pulled into the milk, & a whirlpool effect ensues. For a latte, the milk should increase by about a third. For a cappuccino, you want the milk to double in volume, so that stream of air should be a little wider. (Ideally, you won’t get any bubbles at all, but if you do, they can be “killed” by the whirlpool.) Many baristas use a thermometer to achieve an exact temperature (150-160 is average for a standard drink), but I’ve steamed enough milk that my palm knows when the milk is hot enough. (The sound of the steaming also gets a bit higher-pitched when the milk reaches about 160.) Use a stainless steel pitcher with a distinct pour-spout.

Commercial espresso machines obviously have a lot more oomph in their steam wands than you’ll get with most at-home versions. It’s possible to steam lovely milk at home—it’s trickier, but the methods are the same.

Okay, I’ve gone on far too long. And I haven’t even gotten to the part about how to make a pretty rosetta. It’ll have to wait: you’re surely exhausted by now.

A friend suggested that I "sign" my blogs so you know who's talking. Good idea.

Cheers,

Jennifer

Seth and May CD Release Concert of "New Flower"

2011-10-14T11:38:00.000-04:00

Seth and May will be releasing their new album, “New Flower”.

Can you guess where their release show is going to be?... Higher Grounds of course!

This album is particularly special to us at HG because the music was inspired by their tip to Ethiopia with On the Ground. This will be a dual purpose concert, both and release show and a benefit concert. Proceeds will go to On the Ground. OTG works to support farming communities around the world including the construction and funding of schools in Ethiopia, and water projects in Mexico.

The release concert of "New Flower " will be taking place on October 28^th, here at Higher Grounds. To ensure your place (and to save some money) you may purchase your tickets ahead of time at Oryana or HG for $20. Otherwise, you can wing it and buy your tickets at the door for $25. The doors will open at 7pm and the music begins at 8pm.

What could make this event more enticing? Well…… Michael Shimmin, Brennan Andes, Joshua Davis and special guest, Temesgen will also be joining us!

Field to Cup: Going Beyond Fair Trade (part 1 of 3)

2011-10-11T15:03:00.000-04:00

As a kid sitting at my grandparents’ kitchen table in rural Upper Michigan, I watched as my grandpa Sander filled his Corelle mug with a steamy, bitter blackness from the old Mr. Coffee. It might have been sitting on the burner for a few hours by that point, but once he stirred in a few spoonfuls of sugar and a healthy dose of half & half, it was a syrupy sweet concoction just right for dipping my Trenary Toast (transforming his morning beverage into a gloppy cinnamon slurry, although he never seemed to mind). I slurped up the soggy, delicious mess with glee. Breakfast with Grandpa stands out in my memory as my first taste of coffee, starting me down a path from which, I’m happy to say, I haven’t strayed: coffee has been a constant in my life ever since those first mornings.

Over the years, I’ve soaked up more and more knowledge about this beverage I’ve been consuming for so long. I’ve learned the benefits of organic, shade-grown & fairly-traded beans, and I’ve worked for companies with various levels of commitment to those values. Now here I am at Higher Grounds, where the commitment goes even further. I’m learning that these things are important, certainly—essential, even—but they are not enough. Recently, “fair trade” has become more of a buzzword than anything else, and the fair trade movement has been co-opted. Several large companies who are anything but “fair” in many of their practices (a topic for another blog, perhaps) are corporatizing what was once truly a revolutionary movement and turning it into a brand, a trademark to be used for marketing and greater profits.

We at Higher Grounds support fair trade but not the organization that calls itself “Fair Trade USA”—an entity that used to share our values but now seems more interested in a quick buck. (It's their logo that you see to the right and on packaging pretty much everywhere these days--but not on Higher Grounds products.) We stand alongside the farmers who work hard to supply our product, and we stand adamantly against the corporations who’d prefer to profit in the name of that good work but not in solidarity with our coffee-growing friends around the world.

Next week’s blog will define the symbols you will see on our products, representing our affiliation with and support of organizations working hard for equity and global justice, and I'll explain more about the controversy.

As a preview, here’s a quote from the Fair World Project (a great non-profit we do support) addressing Fair Trade USA’s divorce from the larger Fairtrade International:

“It is inconceivable that an organization [whose] organizational values include striving ‘to always act ethically and value relationships built on honesty, mutual respect and trust’ would advance a program without the knowledge or consent of the very producers it aims to support.”

And from The Latin American and Caribbean Network of Small Fair Trade Producers (CLAC), which represents democratically-organized small farmers:

“We [...] join the regret caused by the departure of FAIRTRADE USA and we express the fact that we cannot share its new vision of expansion, since it threatens the empowerment, development and self-management of small organized producers.”

At Higher Grounds, we certainly couldn’t agree more. And if Grandpa were around today, I'm willing to bet he'd raise his mug to that.

Brew Method Showdown: Filter v. Press

2011-10-04T16:26:00.000-04:00

Well friends, it’s Tuesday again, and that means another post about quality. And the best way to ensure that you’re enjoying the highest-quality-possible coffee at home is to buy whole beans from a roaster you know and trust (Higher Grounds, of course!), and then grind them yourself just before brewing.

I asked for suggestions for blog topics last week, and I got my wish. Shelly from Boulder writes: “I'd like to read one about filtering as it relates to keeping the natural oils from the coffee beans. We mostly use a French press, but we also use a Cuisinart maker...problem is, that has a filter built into it, and I'd like to know if I'm losing those natural oils.”

Shel, thanks for the question. I’m sure you’re not the only one out there wondering; those sleek Cuisinart all-in-one grinder-brewer contraptions have gotten pretty popular. The short answer: yes. You’re losing those aromatic oils. But that’s not the worst thing in the world. Most people are used to the cleaner result produced by an automatic drip coffee maker, and you’re still getting the bulk of flavor from your beans (assuming you’re using fresh Arabica and grinding it at home). You might experience a different flavor profile (and definitely a different mouthfeel) with a filtered cup than you would using the same beans in a French press, but that’s not to say it’s an inferior flavor profile; those oils can be mighty pungent, overpowering more subtle nuances. Some filter-loving ~~fools~~ folks even tout the lower cholesterol levels of oil-free coffee. ~~(Personally, I love cholesterol.)~~ So never fear. There are certainly perks (pun intended! I love puns) to both methods. And there are several options when it comes to filters.

1. standard paper filters (cone or basket)

These are your basic run-of-the-mill coffee filters, the ones that have been around forever, the ones that your average church basement kitchen has 1000 of in backstock. The cheapest ones are bleached white with chlorine, and I’m sure I don’t need to work very hard to convince you not to use them (would you like some bleach with your breakfast?). Melitta, a household name for most paper filter buyers, boasts that their filters are bleached with oxygen, not chlorine – so if you’re going to use a paper filter, theirs are okay. Melitta also sells an unbleached version, for those of you who don’t mind your grounds going to town with brown. (I’m a poet; indulge me, okay?) Hemp and bamboo disposable/compostable ones are also out there.

2. reusable cloth filters

A more environmentally-friendly version is made of fabric, which simply adds another step to your coffee-making process: rinse and re-use, easy peasy. One downside is that these don’t hold their shape all that well, so they can be a little fussy to use after a while. If you’re crafty like my sister, you can probably even make your own (just be sure to use an un-dyed, all-natural fiber like 100% cotton muslin). If you can sew even a little bit, check out this tutorial.

3. gold filters (& other sturdy, washable versions)

The priciest product up front is the gold filter, made by Swissgold and other companies. But considering their durability, these pretty little things pay for themselves rather quickly, and well, wouldn’t you like to have a little bling in your kitchen? Nylon and stainless steel versions are available too.

***

As for me, I drink French-pressed coffee at home every morning. I enjoy the ritual, and I don’t mind the little bit of extra clean up required (in case you were wondering, yes, you should take the plunger apart and wash it well after every use—those oils can build up and go rancid). Higher Grounds sells a schnazzy stainless steel version I'm currently coveting, though since I already have three different sizes of the standard Bodum, I can hardly justify another. But there are times when an automatic drip coffee maker is mighty convenient: measure, grind, mound it in the filter, press the button, and wait for the telltale gurgle. Whenever I hear it, I’m transported to my mother’s kitchen, where drip coffee is a constant presence. And considering that my mother’s kitchen is one of my favorite places on earth, I’ll take it.

The Good Word from Mexico: Chris visits Maya Vinic, September 2011

2011-10-04T14:18:00.009-04:00

Visiting a trading partner thousands of miles from home can make you realize the progress you’ve made. That initial excitement of creating a relationship, gambling on it working, and then maintaining it over a number of years can lead to a sense of business as usual. A year comes and goes, prices are set, contracts are signed, coffee beans are collected and shipped, and a company has a product for another harvest season. We send fifteen cents above the price paid per pound back to the co-op in Chiapas each year to fund social projects, lead educational trips there to learn about indigenous rights, and work with the non-profit On the Ground (founded by Higher Grounds) to fund water projects. Yet even all of this great work can feel routine—until we’re given the opportunity to reflect.

I was just reminded how important long-term fair trade relationships are as I sat in Maya Vinic’s office in San Cristobal de Las Casas last week. The specialty-grade Arabica coffee beans from Maya Vinic were the first ever purchased by Higher Grounds. Chatting with Luis Alvarez, the office manager and long time advisor to Maya Vinic, I realized that we are approaching ten years of working together.

Every two years, Maya Vinic’s board of directors changes. As is customary in the cooperative structure, the general assembly votes on a board to oversee the day-to-day operations of the cooperative. In the case of Maya Vinic, these operations include an in-country roasting operation, a green bean export business, a coffee plant nursery, and soon, a cafe in San Cristobal. The volunteer Board of Directors spends endless hours each year working on everything from organic certification to interfacing with local indigenous groups wanting to use their space for gatherings. Each time the new board members are elected, I make it a point to sit down and chat with these six individuals, who represent more than 30 communities and nearly 500 members of the cooperative. One of these conversations happened last week:

“As many of you know, Higher Grounds and Maya Vinic have been growing up together,” I noted, glancing around the table at the new faces. “When Higher Grounds started, we were among the first to purchase coffee, with Cooperative Coffees [the importing cooperative of which Higher Grounds is part owner], from Maya Vinic. At the time we were babies. Now, together, we are entering our late childhood.”

Late childhood it truly is. This coming harvest will mark the 10th year that Higher Grounds has purchased coffee from Maya Vinic and the 10th year that Maya Vinic has exported their fair trade, organic beans. In 2002, when the first purchase was made and shipped, Higher Grounds was but an infant. We only had a few accounts but were fervent supporters of Maya Vinic, spending six weeks in the first year traveling to Chiapas, spending time with the cooperative and bringing a group of consumers down to meet them. At the time, Maya Vinic stored their coffee in a wooden shack in the former refugee camp of Acteal. The beans, nestled on top of wooden planks in the middle of the dirt-floor shack, were positioned centrally to avoid any rain or other moisture that might come in between the panels of the exterior wall. Farmers huddled together around an open fire to ward off the cold, discussing how to collect coffee and take it to trucks to be hauled off to the processing plant before it was shipped overseas.

Then, Maya Vinic rented office space in a house on the outskirts of San Cristobal. Two years before the first export, a woman from Tapauchula stole all of the year’s coffee from the co-op. The president at that time said, “We let her take it as she was recommended to us by a number of religious organizations; we assumed she was going to pay us.” She never did, leading to much desanimo in the co-op. In 2002, the farmers were still reeling from this theft. They had no infrastructure – no car, limited office, and no warehouse. Yet they worked hard and believed in the power of their cooperative as an organization to work for the betterment of all the farmers.

Since that time, and running parallel to the growth of Higher Grounds, the cooperative has built its infrastructure and excels as a small-scale growing cooperative on the international stage. Maya Vinic has weathered the storms, even with an organization built primarily by a group of farmers who do not have more than a sixth grade education, in a political climate where their struggle for indigenous rights and justice for the massacre at Acteal (which was the impetus to start the co-op) is continually undermined by the government that is supposed to represent them. Today, Maya Vinic has over 500 farmers in the co-op, all certified organic or in the transition to become organic, and they’ve partnered with many other organizations to help build their infrastructure. As a result of these strategic alliances and their ability to sell all of their premium organic beans to international buyers, they now operate a large storage and processing center, an office, a coffee plant nursery and organic training plot, and an in-country roasting facility.

Thanks to the 2010 social premium provided by Higher Grounds, this year Maya Vinic will own their very own restaurant. They are currently in discussions to start a tilapia fish farm to supply the restaurant with fresh fish. On the Ground is currently building a water system to bring fresh water to the residents of Acteal as part of their Chiapas Water Project.

For Higher Grounds, Maya Vinic represents the power of the cooperative structure and the building of long-term relationships. From the hard-working farmers who provide us with premium organic beans; to our friends at Cooperative Coffees who help us provide a fair price to the growers and import their coffees; to organizations such as Catholic Relief Services who have provided quality workshops and helped them start their very own coffee nursery; to Higher Grounds, forming long-term relationships and fostering solidarity with their indigenous rights cause; Maya Vinic represents what is possible when multiple stakeholders work together to create a more direct, fairly-trading relationship.

As we enter our 10th harvest with Maya Vinic, there is much more to do. As Luis and I discussed the distance Higher Grounds has traveled together with Maya Vinic and reminisced about the beginnings of both organizations, Luis looked up to a Higher Grounds poster on the wall we had given the co-op a few years ago and I had all but forgotten. “The best coffee comes from good friends,” he read with a smile. How true.

--Chris Treter

Let's Have Some Quality Time, Shall We?

2011-09-27T15:04:00.000-04:00

Salutations! We’re adding a new voice to the blogging mix these days. Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Jennifer, the latest addition to the Higher Grounds crew. Here’s a picture of me at work, hoping my co-workers don't ~~think I'm crazy~~ notice the way I'm smiling affectionately at my computer screen. If you haven't seen me in the coffee bar yet, come on down - I'd love to meet you.

I’m going to be your source for everything regarding quality. That means I’ll be blogging weekly about things like the products we use here in our coffee bar, from the beans themselves to the fair-trade crafts and locally-sourced ingredients we proudly feature (Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate and Still Point Farms maple syrup to name a couple). I’ll also offer up advice for those of you brewing up coffee and espresso at home, so you can be sure you’re getting the most out of your Higher Grounds beans. And if you have a question about anything I ~~ramble on~~ fluidly pontificate about here on the blog, or a suggestion for a coffee-related topic you’d like to hear more about, I’m your girl: just drop me a line at jennifer@highergroundstrading.com.

In the interest of familiarizing myself with my ~~competition~~ contemporaries, I’ve been perusing a lot of other coffee-focused blogs and websites. There are some excellent roasters and cafes out there, run by enthusiastic and committed experts who absolutely know their coffee. And the bigger ones (think Intelligentsia and Stumptown) boast super-shiny, high-tech (or even restored classic) machines and the latest, greatest gadgets and tools for crafting coffee and espresso. My barista envy threatens to balloon out of control as I drool over the beautiful machines produced by Italian companies like La Marzocco, Faema and Gaggia. But then I step behind the bar here at Higher Grounds, tamp freshly-ground espresso into a portafilter, steam up a creamy pitcher of Shetler’s milk and pour myself a latte with a perfect rosetta. One sip and my envy subsides: I know my coffee too. And I make a mean latte.

My point is that you don’t need thousands of dollars worth of equipment to brew up a quality beverage. Whether we’re talking straight up black coffee or a multi-layered espresso drink, what you need is an excellent product and a little know-how. Begin with a fantastic bean and follow the advice of your friendly neighborhood barista. With a little practice (and only a small dip into your pocketbook), you can be an expert too.

Stay tuned for specific ~~commandments~~ ~~rules~~ recommendations for how you can join the ranks of coffee connoisseurs everywhere. It’s not as difficult (or as expensive) as you might think.

It's Fall, So We Made Some New Drinks to Keep You Warm

2011-09-22T09:57:00.000-04:00

With fall fast approaching, Higher Grounds is gearing up with some new hot drinks to keep you warm as the weather cools down. We are introducing four fall themed drinks this week!

The Maple Syrup Steamer makes up for its lack of caffeine with its sweet and smooth taste. We steam milk with Still Point Farm Maple Syrup…. The simplicity makes it the perfect cup to sit back and watch the leaves turn color.

Our Pumpkin Pie Latte is like Thanksgiving in a cup. We combine hot shots with pumpkin pie puree and steamed milk. This is a fall must have and an HG favorite!

Remember those homemade ginger bread cookies your grandma used to make? We made a drink to help bring back those warm and fuzzy feelings. Our Ginger Bread Latte is espresso infused with ginger syrup and steamed milk. To finish it off we sprinkle some cinnamon powder on top. (Be warned this may make you want to call your grandma when you’re done.)

For the chocolate lovers out there we figured we should be sure to make a fall drink for you too! We created the Cinnamon Spiced Mocha just for you. We steam milk with cinnamon syrup, espresso and Grocer’s Daughter chocolate.

To get the best experience from your fall drinks we suggest that you savor the flavor from a wood fired and hand glazed mug. These mugs are made special for us by Ryan from Dalman Pottery in Marquette. We have plenty of different styles and colors so stop by to pick the one that suits you best.

Our New Intern!

2011-09-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

Higher Grounds is proud to announce that we have recently acquired an international intern! We are working in partnership with NMC on their Costa Rica Internship program.

Erika arrived a couple of days ago from a city in Ecuador called Guayaquil. She is studying agricultural engineering at EARTH University in Costa Rica. When asked about her career choice Erika stated, “I chose this career because I am greatly interested in commercializing and industrializing agricultural goods and products, giving them a higher cost and supplying the high demand the world requires, being able to sustain it.” After three years of hard work she will finally earn her diploma in 2012.

Everyone at Higher Grounds is eager to get to know Erika. In an effort to do so, we cornered her and had her answer some choice questions. We asked her which type of performer she would prefer to be if she were in a circus. She replied, “A trapeze artist because it requires immense concentration and correct positioning.” Erika has no pets at all (and we all know how much Higher Grounds loves their pets). She said if she did have a pet it would be a dog and she would name it Marley. She is currently residing with a local family with a blind dog named Marley and she has become quite attached.

If you are going to be in the area please stop by and welcome our new intern, Erika. She is so awesome we don’t want to be selfish and keep her all to ourselves!

Run For Palestine

2011-09-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

On The Ground is hosting Run “For” Palestine, a 5K and 10K road race, on Saturday October 8. The fun starts at 5 p.m. at the Food For Thought farm between Honor and Empire.

The course is mostly road, with the 10K entering parts of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Following the races, participants and their families can hang out on the Food For Thought farm and enjoy a pasta dinner and movie under the stars. Bring your running shoes, blanket and loved ones.

Additional dinner and movie tickets are available for only $15 -- kids 12 and under are free!

Distances include 5K and 10K, and a 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk for kids under 12.

Funds raised will go to Run Across Palestine, a running expedition to raise money to assist Palestinian olive oil farmers. More info at http://onthegroundglobal.org/.

If running isn't your thing you may still participate in supporting Palestinian farmers by purchasing our Fair Trade Organic Palestinian Olive Oil. But the first 20 registrants will be entered to win one of two pairs of Brooks running shoes, so it might be worth a try! Sign up today at http://www.active.com/running/honor-mi/run-for-palestine-2011

Did you Notice?... Ethiopian Unwashed is Back!

2011-08-26T12:54:00.000-04:00

Our Ethiopian Unwashed Sidamo Light Roast is finally back! We were previously out of this bright and spicy coffee due to a short supply. The Ethiopian Unwashed Sidamo has quite a large cult following and we knew that many of you would be thrilled to hear we are roasting it once again.

For those of you who have yet to experience the unique taste of this fruity coffee here is your chance! Unwashed coffees are not depulped, instead the coffee is allowed to ferment inside the cherry. This process retains a lot of the berry flavors from the pulp. The supply is once again limited so stop by while the gettin' is good.

Ethiopia was the birthplace of domesticated coffee. The Ethiopian Unwashed Sidamo comes from the Sidama Coffee Farmer Cooperative Union. This cooperative union consists of approximately 87,000 farmers and 45 cooperatives from the Sidamo Region of Ethiopian.

You can stop by the coffee bar and pick up a bag or you can just stay home and order online.

The Coffee Delivery Fleet

2011-08-23T14:06:00.000-04:00

In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint and to provide our customers with prompt delivery Higher Grounds utilizes an entire delivery fleet. The task force assigned to the job includes BATA, Benzie bus, the HG van and most importantly, Ruthie, our bike delivery babe.

Twice a week (and sometime more often) Ruthie bikes to the BATA transfer station. BATA allows timely delivery of coffee to our customers in Empire, Northport, Glen Arbor, Sutton’s Bay, Leland and Interlochen.

Our good friends at the Benzie Bus stop by HG a couple of times a week to pick up coffee for the Fankfort, Beulah and Honor areas.

On Tuesdays and Fridays Ruthie bikes downtown Traverse City with coffee piled high on the back of her trailer. She personally takes all of our downtown customers their coffee.

Those just outside of Ruthie’s bike route get their coffee via the HG van. Mondays and Thursdays she loads the van full of coffee and heads out to the local areas not within range of her bike route.

Baristas Unite!! We are Hiring

2011-08-15T14:02:00.001-04:00

Job Announcement: Barista/ Roastery team member

Part-time - Immediate Opening

Emma (coffe bar manager) is pictured here making a drink for a customer

Higher Grounds Trading Co. seeks a person to join our growing Traverse City-based Fair Trade/ Organic Coffee company. We seek individuals who are enthusiastic about our mission and want to be a part of a growing alternative economy. We encourage people of all ethnicities, race, gender, age, and sexual orientation to apply.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop, pour, and brew specialty espresso and brewed coffee drinks
• Provide courteous and responsive service to our customers
• Assist in the roastery to meet the requirements of daily production schedule by helping to bag, sticker, grind and prepare orders for shipment/delivery
• Maintain a clean and organized work area
• Complete inventory and process logs accurately and to specifications
• Educate customers about the intricacies in making a quality cup of coffee

Requirements:

• Pleasant disposition with customers and staff
• Self-directed, organized, have a great attention to detail, and adaptable to ever-evolving workplace
• Able to lift up to 60 lbs and 30 pounds repeatedly
• Able to stand, walk, and lift for entire work day
• Maintain a professional appearance
The ideal candidate will have a clean, well-groomed appearance; enjoy a fast-paced, energetic workplace; be an enthusiastic supporter of social justice and environmental sustainability; dedicated to continually improving the quality of their work and the services they provide; and love coffee!

To Apply:

Please answer the following questions in the form of a cover letter and email them with your contact information and resume to:

jobs@highergroundstrading.com

• Why do you feel you would be a good fit to work at Higher Grounds?
• Give an anecdote that demonstrates your ability to be resourceful.
• What past experience has most prepared you to work in this capacity?

Position Compensation: competitive hourly rate commensurate with skill level and experience.

Seth and May Benefit Concert for On the Ground

2011-08-10T10:29:00.000-04:00

For our final installment of the Red Drive Summer Concert Series Seth and May will be performing. Fresh off their adventures with On the Ground in Ethiopia, Seth and May will be playing songs from their upcoming album inspired by this trip.

This event will be a benefit concert for On the Ground, which has just released their new project, Run Across Palestine. So please stop by and show your support and enjoy the music, this may be your last chance to experience an outdoor concert at Higher Grounds this summer. Be sure not to miss it!

The doors open at 6:00pm on Saturday, August 13th and Seth and May will take the stage at 7:00pm. Your duel action $10 will get you into the concert and will help On the Ground’s effort to support sustainable community development in farming regions across the world. For more information visit our Facebook event page.

School Fundraisers

2011-08-09T15:44:00.000-04:00

Higher Grounds is anticipating the beginning of another school year. We know how crazy things become around this time of year, with everyone trying to gear up for the fast approaching first day of school.

We have once again partnered up with Naturally Nutty, Food for Thought, Light of Day Tea and Grocer’s Daughter to provide you with a diverse fundraising opportunity. Our fundraising options include coffee, peanut butter, chocolates, fruit preserves, olive oil, mustard and salsa.

Our fundraiser is designed to not only make money to support your school’s activities but also to support local businesses. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity please contact us at 231-922-9009 or at orders@highergroundstrading.com