If you drink coffee, you’ve probably noticed that it’s been a little more expensive lately. Whether it’s your usual vanilla latte or a bag of beans from the grocery store, chances are, you’re paying more than you were a few months ago. And those of us who roast coffee are paying more too–for the raw green coffee we transform into those roasted beans.
The biggest challenge facing all roasters right now is a high, volatile market for green coffee. Green coffee prices jumped up over $1.00/pound in 2025, in some cases much more, and that’s in addition to President Trump’s unprecedented and unpredictable tariffs. For green coffee importer Cooperative Coffees’ 22 member-roasters, including Higher Grounds, the dilemma is further complicated by the fair, producer-committed way that we do business with our farmer partners .
Luckily for us roasters, Coop Coffees members met in early October for our Annual General Meeting [AGM] to discuss, decidedly, not just business as usual.
Working with a cooperative model means that we tackle challenges together to meet the needs of all members fairly and efficiently, and that’s exactly what we did, hosted byThread Coffee Roasters in Baltimore, MD. Though price challenges continue to exist, we left Baltimore reassured that Coop Coffees staff are actively strategizing around tariffs, member succession, origin-specific challenges, and capitalizing on the opportunities built by 25 successful years of cooperating.
In between stellar food and drink, productive happy hours, and ample wit from some of our longer serving owners, we expressed gratitude for some outgoing members whose legacies won’t soon be forgotten, and for members and staff who passed milestone anniversaries this year. Cooperative Coffees’ longevity and resilience are an excellent example for us to follow at Higher Grounds as we deal with volatile prices and supply issues.
Of course, we also tasted coffee together, a practice that can’t be avoided when you get a bunch of coffee geeks together for “business.” As the green buyer and Quality Manager for Higher Grounds, I was excited to taste our Sumatran Permata Gayo and Dusk blend Apex coffee alongside other members’ coffees. In addition, we were lucky enough to sample several prospective Kenyan coffees (quite savory, but also jammy in their fruity sweetness), which just goes to show Coop Coffees’ staff are hard at work ensuring Higher Grounds and other members have options and opportunities to continue roasting the best coffee for you, our customers.
Doing business cooperatively has its challenges. With so many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, it can be difficult to ensure all voices are heard, and to reach compromise when facing a crossroads. Yet when we gather as a community of roasters, to strategize, laugh, hug, eat, reflect, reminisce, and of course sip coffee together, our shared values shine. We stand together on the firm foundation of our shared commitment to farmer wellbeing. When we share physical space with our Cooperative Coffees colleagues, never is it more obvious that we are all in business for the same reasons: to make coffee worthwhile for the folks who work tirelessly to produce it, and to ensure that collectively, all of our businesses can thrive for generations to come.