Episode 48 of State of Water

We are thrilled to welcome Chris Treter, owner and co-founder of Higher Grounds Trading Company to State of Water. State of Water host Seth Bernard invites Chris to go on a journey through time, back to the 1990s and the formative events of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico and the WTO protests in Seattle – both moments of people standing courageously against neoliberal economic policies. In 2002 Higher Grounds was born in Chiapas as Chris lived and worked with coffee farmers, rooted in a model of solidarity economics not only about trade but taking into account the well-being of all trading partners. From there, the conversation travels back to Michigan as Chris and Higher Grounds find deep community in Traverse City and then back again to Chiapas with the launch of the Chiapas Water Project which provided important access to clean water for farmers and communities.

As Higher Grounds started building relationships with coffee farmers in other regions of the world, they carried the same ethics and values – to be in solidarity and collaboration with their growers and communities. Seth and Chris share memories of their Run Across Ethiopia – where runners ran 10 marathons in 10 days and raised over 1/2 million dollars to invest in local communities. Through storytelling, athletics, activism, and the arts, Chris and Higher Grounds has continued to be a force for creating change and building meaningful relationships in the communities that they were sourcing their coffee. We travel back to Michigan and hear about the new Common Grounds Cooperative in Traverse City – a real estate development cooperative that has quickly become a hub of arts, culture, and collaboration – a vision of community by the community. Finally, Chris shares some powerful thoughts on clean water and peace making and how we in Michigan hold a unique opportunity to be protectors of a future peace that cares for water in a fair, equitable, and peaceful way. 

Learn more about Higher Grounds at: https://www.highergroundstrading.com/

Listen to State of Water on Spotify, Soundcloud or Apple Podcasts.

Learn more about On the Ground at: https://www.onthegroundglobal.org/

EPISODE 48 credits:

Chris Treter interviewed by Seth Bernard

Produced, edited and mixed by Dan Rickabus and Chris Good

Narrators – Alex Smith, Ben Darcie, Dan Rickabus, Jenny Jones, Angela Gallegos, Rachel Marco-Havens

Graphic by Chris Good

Theme Music – Mike Savina, Seth Bernard & Dan Rickabus

Featured Music – “Homestretch” by Ecotone and “Authors (instrumental demo)” by Dan Rickabus

In our newest episode of State of Water, Seth Bernard sits down with longtime friend and collaborator, Chris Treter, for a wonderful conversation journeying through the last 25+ years.

Chris is co-founder of Higher Grounds and he shares stories of the company’s early inspirations in Chiapas, Mexico, and how those commitments to solidarity economics and the well-being of coffee growers, their communities, and the environment have continued to be foundational values as Higher Grounds has grown through the years.

It is a story of collaboration, cooperation, creativity, and community. It is a story of athletics, activism, and the arts. It is a story of meaningful global impact through the efforts of On the Ground Global and deep local community building through projects such as Common Grounds Cooperative and NoBo Market.

Whether you’re a coffee drinker and fan of Higher Grounds or not, you don’t want to miss this episode for an inspiring look into Chris and Higher Ground’s vision, hard work, and relationship building.