Localizing the Global: A business at home between the birch and cedar

Chris Treter discussing the importance of shade trees to bird biodiversity with farmers in El Pumiri, Bolivia.

By: Chris Treter

 

When the sun begins to sink behind the birch trees as they shed their leaves each fall, an undercurrent of progression rises above a sea of summer vacationers - ready to carve out a unique space for the Grand Traverse region within the national landscape.

 

Together, with like-minded businesses, non-profit organizations, concerned citizens, and forward thinking churches, Higher Grounds Trading Co. has joined this undercurrent and made a business of building relationships with those not satisfied with the status quo.

 

Too often, the world of commerce is built around the notion that profit and financial efficiencies take precedent over humanity, environmental stewardship and brand authenticity. If this statement makes you scratch your head - walk into your neighborhood chain grocery store - you know the one owned by an individual living hundreds of miles away. Yes, any of the chain stores with the generic packaging and "everyday low prices." There, you will find factory farm meat and chocolate bars made from cacao picked by child laborers. The produce section is full of vegetables grown from genetically modified crops in large swathes of monoculture fields in California.... or Argentina if it is cheaper.

 

If that doesn't convince you of the monotonous, mundane experience of the marketplace - turn on your radio, or walk into your local restaurant. There you will experience the drain on your senses as the mass produced, different-melody-same-tune songs invade your ear drums as your stomach fills with water-downed beer from mega-breweries touting their brand as the one that "real men" and "beautiful women" drink. Yes, our everyday marketplace is predictably boring, uninspiring, and quietly working to dismantle the threads of culture and community sustainability throughout the world.

 

Luckily, we find ourselves in a community pushing back, recognizing that the authentic isn't always the product shoved down our throat in the grocery store. Thousands have localized the global in the Grand Traverse region by forming purposeful enterprises and participating in meaningful consumerism. Many in our Grand Traverse business community recognize that every act of consumption has direct consequence on someone, somewhere. Be it a coffee farmers in the Yungas of Bolivia or a clothing manufacturer in Hong Kong, consumerism is fast becoming a reflection of our values.

 

Each day, Inspiration fills my veins as I chomp on sustainably grown vegetables from Sweeter Song Farm and Meadowlark Farm - CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) down the road in Cedar and Lake Leelanau. Or while I cover my organic brick oven baked Pleasanton Bakery Bread (Bear Lake) in organic, fairly-traded preserves from Food for Thought (Honor). You can find me in the evenings searching out the likes of Daisy May, a Northern Michigan artist, sipping some fair trade organic tea from By the Light of Day Tea (Empire).  My weekend libations are brought to you by Leelanau Cellars (Omena), who harvest their local grapes, coaxing them into fine wines typical of the Grand Traverse region.

 

I purchase these and other local artisinal, purposeful products at Oryana Natural Foods Market (Traverse City) - a community owned grocery store dedicated to offering consumers ecologically sound products at a fair value - the largest food cooperative in all of Michigan. Most birthday, wedding, and holiday gifts are purchased at Unity Fair Trade Marketplace and Green Island in Traverse City. They, along with most businesses discussed above, accept Bay Bucks - the local currency of the Grand Traverse Region - designed to help us keep our dollars in our local community.

 

When thoughts turn to more worldly matters, I chat with my friends at Neahtawanta Center, Seeds, Great Lakes Bioneers, or Michigan Land Use Institute who direct me to the latest environmental struggle in our local area or determine the most appropriate way to help Higher Grounds Trading Co. become a more sustainable and eco-friendly company. Independent films full of thought provoking images and educational story lines are found each month thanks to Indyflix at Kejara's Bridge (Lake Leelanau) or via Mideast Just Peace (Traverse City).

Jody Treter carrying water with a community in Chiapas, Mexico.

These organizations are not only collectively working to foster a more just, ecologically balanced future but are helping shape the future of Higher Grounds Trading Co. Higher Grounds has carved a niche out for itself in the Grand Traverse region by becoming the only 100% fair trade and organic coffee roasting company in all of Michigan. Our handcrafted coffees are available throughout the state in independent grocery stores and cooperatives, family-owned restaurants and cafes, and many churches. In addition to roasting coffee we are committed to education about consumerism. We also raise funds for water projects in Chiapas and schools in Ethiopia, and lead consumer tours to coffee growing countries in Africa and Central America.

 

We measure our successes not simply by our bottom line and quality of our coffee but by our ability to give back to our community - both locally and globally. We work to minimize the ecological footprint of our company. We aim to strengthen our human and environmental assets, and we desire to encourage our local community to walk side by side with us as we work to help those less fortunate.

 

Fortunately our place and space is in this community. Because, here in the Grand Traverse region, folks are already in tune to the mission of companies like Higher Grounds and have formed a formidable network of organizations and individuals not willing to settle for a society driven by decision makers who do not look to the best interest of our community. The future of the birch and cedar, wetlands and lakes, and the vitality of our northwoods community depend upon us to shape and define it. With businesses, individuals, and organizations such as those listed above I am confident we will continue finding ourselves in an ever-evolving region in search of a just society defending our beautiful ecologically balanced lands.

 

Chris Treter is co-founder of Higher Grounds Trading Co. To learn more visit www.highergroundstrading.com