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

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

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

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

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

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