We’ve been proud to pour, sip, and share @highergroundstradingco coffee for years. A Traverse City roaster deeply rooted in community, committed to justice, and brewing positive change from seed to cup. 🌱☕️
Their mission reaches far beyond Northern Michigan, supporting coffee-growing communities around the world through fair trade partnerships and sustainable practices. 🌍
This fall, when you pick up a bag of their Harvest Blend, you’re doing even more good. 💚 A portion of proceeds goes to @groundworkcenter helping strengthen our local food system and build a more sustainable Northern Michigan.
#traversecity #michigan #coffeeshop #upnorth #coffee
Love is a ritual. Brewed slowly, shared freely, and strengthened in the quiet moments between sips.
The final film in our three-part series with Octagon Haus lingers in that space. The space between people. Between glances, hands, laughter. It’s a celebration of the everyday beauty that lives inside closeness.
And it’s a reminder: everyone deserves the freedom to be who they are and to love who they love—openly, safely, and without exception. That’s not up for debate. It’s something we honor, protect, and continue to fight for.
This story, like the others, was captured on 16mm Kodak film, a medium that rewards patience and care. Every frame touched by people moving with purpose. Much like the journey coffee takes—from seed, to hands, to home.
Thank you for walking with us through this series. Let’s keep building a world where love has space to grow and thrive.
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Starring Alyssa Natoci @lyssssssie & Izzy Johnson @izzy______
Client: Higher Grounds Coffee @highergroundstradingco
Production Company: Octagon Haus @octagon.haus
Director: Luke Jaden @lukejaden9
EP/Stills Photog: Diane Michelle @dianemichellephotog
Producer: John Tuma @tumatuma
Editor: Shannon Griffin @shannoncgriffin
DP: Jackson Clark @jackson.c.clark
1st AC: Chris Leszkowicz @chrisleszkowicz
Production Designer: Luna Alexander @tunatactics
Music Composer: Chloe @chloeebg
Colorist: Dan Swiernega @dan.swierenga
Sound Designer: Cheng Zhuang @chengsso
Camera & Lenses: Green Corolla @greencorolla_
Film Scanned & Processed: Tony Landano at Kodak NY @kodak_shootfilm
Shot on Kodak film. 16mm.
Special thanks to Kodak, Anne Hubbell, Yolanda Crocker, and Parcel.
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#SpecialtyCoffee #ThirdWaveCoffee #CoffeeLovers #MorningCoffee #CoffeeCulture #CoffeeAddict
#ShotOnFilm #16mm #Kodak #KodakShootFilm #ShootFilm #FilmIsNotDead
#TraverseCity #PureMichigan #TCMI #NorthernMichigan #MichiganMade #PrideMonth #UpNorthPride
How can we improve gender equity in coffee production? It’s a hard question, and one we believe is well worth asking.
In many cases, women in coffee production have significantly less access to land and finance, and are not allowed the same opportunities to make important decisions as their male counterparts. These social and economic barriers hold women back, widening the gender equity gap.
We’re committed to supporting cultural shifts toward more gender-inclusive attitudes – that’s why we partner with @otgglobal to implement the GALS (Gender Action Learning System) which facilitates gender equity workshops in East Africa. GALS helps women to obtain more financial and social independence, and be viewed as equal to their male co-workers.
Hit the link in bio to learn more. ☝️
#HigherGroundsTrading #CoffeeWithGoodFriends
Special event announcement! The Northwestern Michigan College International Affairs Forum, in partnership with On The Ground Global (sister nonprofit of Higher Grounds), is hosting a special event featuring the documentary “Land of Canaan” on May 14, 2026, in Traverse City. A Q&A session will follow the screening with producer Nasser Abufarha, director Maggie Lemere, and Meryl Marsh from On The Ground.
Land of Canaan is a cinematic meditation following Palestinian farmers tending to some of the oldest olive trees in the world: living symbols of livelihood, heritage, and resistance. When Dr. Nasser Abufarha, a Palestinian American entrepreneur, returns to the occupied West Bank and finds the olive oil industry in crisis, he leads a movement to preserve an ecosystem and thousands of years of ecological knowledge, helping to build one of Palestine’s most influential fair-trade networks. While Palestinian land, culture, and livelihood face erasure, Land of Canaan documents a way of life, shows us what is at stake, and why it must be protected.
May 14
6pm reception w/ olive oil tasting
6:30 documentary
8:00 filmmaker Q & A
Dennos Museum Center Milliken Auditorium
Traverse City, MI, in person only
Q & A
Nasser Abufarha, Ph.D., producer & protagonist
Maggie Lemere, director
We’re kicking off the month of May with our new seasonal drinks lineup☀️!
🍊Marigold:
Our classic orange vanilla, half and half and a single shot of espresso shaken with ice and garnished with orange zest
🌸Iced Cherry Chai:
cherry simple syrup (using local/MI grown cherries) combined with our chai and choice of milk over ice
🍵Iced Earl Grey Matcha:
Ceremonial grade matcha paired with an earl grey syrup and milk over ice
🔮The Oracle:
Latte with rosewater and vanilla base, with added flavors of cardamom, nutmeg, and black pepper
We’re open from 8-3 daily. Find us at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons ☕️
#coffee #latte #barista #coffeebar #matcha
Gold Label Peruvian Apex roasts are back! Welcome back, Omer Helera Flores and Miguel Padilla Chinguel—two talented producers we’ve featured previously, who we can’t wait to introduce (or reintroduce!) you to this year, with all new tasting notes for our 2026 season.
Omer Helera Flores is a medium roast natural process Maragogype featuring tasting notes of chocolate covered orange, sangria, and pleasantly earthy, berry-forward tangy aftertaste.
Miguel Padilla Chinguel is lightly roasted washed process Bourbon-Geisha blend, enhanced by hints of lime, peach, buttercream, and floral notes.
Both of these coffees are notable for their exceptional, high-scoring craftsmanship, and are therefore available in limited quantities. Omer and Miguel are both members of coffee cooperative Sol y Cafe, located in Cajamarca, Peru.
#coffee #sustainablecoffee #coffeeroastery #abovefairtrade #specialtycoffee
The Ides of March have come and gone, and now
I stand upon a mountain of delight.
If there amongst our revels walkèd thou,
I thank thee for thy presence yesternight.
For every person — come from far or near —
A partner was in this festivity,
And ev’ry one doth hold a place most dear
In both my heart and our community.
But as the day is done, my musings turn
From present joy to future plans and plots —
And so, in hope to better grow and learn,
I ask most humbly: wilt thou share thy thoughts?
O, if thou would’st our little survey take,
My heart would fuller be than our blue lake.
🔗 Survey linked in our bio 🔗
🌷Bright days, meaningful impact.
☕️ Our WRC Blend is full of cocoa, almond, and toasty notes—and helps support survivors in our community.
🕊️ April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. $5 from every purchase goes to the Women’s Resource Center.
☀️A little light can go a long way.
#traversecity #coffee #coffeebar #SAAM #coffeeroastery
🌟Rare, limited-run drop! 🌟
Say hello to Homer Alarcon Gayoso, producer partner from Cajamarca, Peru. We’ve been fortunate enough to share several of his beautiful harvests with you over the last three years. This year, we’ve got something truly special on offer that you will not want to miss! This will go fast, and there are just 40 bags available.
Last year we tucked away a small amount of Homer’s coffee, vacuum-sealing the green coffee and storing it in our freezer to preserve freshness. Now that Spring has arrived and new crop is here, we’re excited to offer a rare opportunity to taste side-by-side two harvests of the same very special coffee. We will roast, pack, and ship it all out on the same day to highlight the subtle differences in character that naturally occur year after year.
And the fun part? We want to hear what you think! The tasting notes for this year’s Homer haven’t been determined yet; We’re waiting to hear from you! Let us know what notable flavors and textures you find in the cup, and help us determine what this year’s tasting notes should go on the bag.
Extremely Limited. Only 40 pairs available. Pre-order only. 10 oz bags only.
Say hello to Brittani, one of the owners of local Interlochen drive-thru favorite, MI Coffee, which has been serving Higher Grounds coffee since 2020 ☕️✨
If you’re used to seeing their friendly faces stationed outside of Blue Base Books and are wondering why it looks a little bit empty right now, that’s because Mi Coffee has moved down the street in light of the ongoing intersection construction. You can still get your morning brew, relocated less than a mile down the street at 2515 J Maddy Pkwy, by Hofbrau & Bouwman Realty. Go spread some love over to the Mi Coffee family! ❤️
🫰That “morning light filtering through the glass of a Chemex” view? It’s magic. ✨
Speaking of Chemex coffeemakers, our newest blog post is up (link in stories), highlighting why we love this beloved retro powerhouse of a brewing vessel.
We’re confident you’ll love it too, so if you’re ready to level up your coffee game, we have 10-cup and 8-cup classic lab-grade glass options in both wood and color collar variants, sold in our Coffee Bar and on our website. ☕️ Pour away! 🏁
#coffee #barista #chemex #pourover #coffeebar
