Higher Grounds Trading Company

Traverse City

Higher Grounds Trading Co. roasts fairtrade and organic coffee from around the world. We stick to high standards not only for ethical and environmental reasons, but also because we're obsessed with quality: we believe these standards produce the best-quality coffees around. Our close relationships with farmers help us bring delicious coffee from the field to your cup.

A fine cup is a work of art.

Quality is determined by many factors, from the soil in which the coffee trees grow to tree species, growing elevation & processes used by the farming cooperative. In any given country, a coffee profile can change simply due to how the beans are dried, fermented or stored. That's why HG frequently travels around the globe, tasting coffees, meeting growers & hiking the dense shade-grown organic coffee fields, all in search of beans to meet our standard. Once we track down the ideal co-ops, we stick with them, encouraging further quality improvement through the long-term relationships that our business model relies on.

Before coffee arrives at our roastery, samples are sent to our importing cooperative, Cooperative Coffees, where professional cuppers test each lot to ensure that it meets our specialty quality standards.

Upon arrival at HG, each coffee is cupped again to determine its ideal roast profile, & the beans are roasted to order in small batches. Immediately after roasting, we package the coffee in bags with one-way valves to seal in freshness & prevent flavor loss. HG guarantees quality & consistency in every cup, because our beans receive careful attention along each step of their journey.