News

From Schools For Chiapas: Marichuy to Mother Seeds, Sowing Seeds for Life
From Schools For Chiapas: Marichuy to Mother Seeds, Sowing Seeds for Life
Weaving the work of the past year, of preventative measures and medicine-making with food sovereignty and climate resiliency, Mother Seeds in Resistance is about the fabric that connects us to... Read more...
Plug In With Schools For Chiapas and Support "Mother Seeds In Resistance"
Plug In With Schools For Chiapas and Support "Mother Seeds In Resistance"
Higher Grounds has deep roots in the Zapatista communities of Chiapas. Join us and our partners at Schools For Chiapas in supporting this important seed project. Mother Seeds in Resistance... Read more...
5 Great Holiday Gifts that Give Back
5 Great Holiday Gifts that Give Back
This year, as we adapt to these challenges and find new ways to celebrate, we have put together a Higher Grounds gift guide for 2020. But this guide has a... Read more...
New Light in the Sky: Our Solidarity with the Zapatistas
New Light in the Sky: Our Solidarity with the Zapatistas
One of our longest-standing partnerships in the world of specialty coffee is with the Mexican farmers of the Yachil cooperative. Read more...
Visit Your Farmers this January
Visit Your Farmers this January
This January, On the Ground, Cooperative Coffees, and Maya Vinic are hosting an origin trip unlike any other. Read more...
Relationships and Reality: The Incredible True Story of Jose Perez Vazquez
Relationships and Reality: The Incredible True Story of Jose Perez Vazquez
He has walked the corridors of Oslo City Hall as a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, but last December Jose Perez Vasquez had his eyes searching the concrete sidewalks of Chicago for... Read more...
Jose with coffee starts, 2013
Jose's Dreams: Farmer Stories (Jose, Part 3)
"Poverty has been the biggest challenge I’ve had to face in my life, but with time and dedication, I’ve been able to overcome it. I’m now able to grow some... Read more...
Jose Perez Vazquez of Maya Vinic
Daily Life: Farmer Stories (Jose, Part 2)
"Producing high-quality coffee requires a lot of passion, care, enthusiasm and hope, because the process is long. Today we plant coffee trees that we won’t be able to harvest any... Read more...
Growing Organic Coffee in Chenalho, Chiapas, Mexico
Growing Organic Coffee in Chenalho, Chiapas, Mexico
How much does it actually cost to grow organic coffee in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico? Jose, our long time friend and co-founder of the Maya Vinic cooperative, explains how much... Read more...
The Power of Co-ops: Farmer stories (Jose, Part 1)
The Power of Co-ops: Farmer stories (Jose, Part 1)
“Before the creation of Maya Vinic, I had to deal with middlemen—coyoteros—who would use their own unreliable scales to cheat us out of kilos of coffee. Many told us coffee... Read more...
Jose and Chris in Chiapas, 2013
Meet Jose, Maya Vinic Founder and Farmer
It is for Jose and all those he represents that we strive to share our circular model of business with the larger specialty coffee community, pushing our colleagues and competitors... Read more...