Cafe Altura

Established in 1980, Cafe Altura is an organic coffee roaster located in Ventura, California. As a pioneer in the organic coffee industry, Cafe Altura is committed to its founding principles of quality, sustainability, care for the environment and the workers who maintain the land. Cafe Altura sells only organic, specialty-grade coffees including: whole bean, fresh-ground coffee to your specification, mountain water decaf, pre-ground canned coffee and freeze-dried instant coffee.

The Origins of Cafe Altura date back to the late 1970's when a group of organic enthusiasts gathered in Ojai, California to live and work on a 75-acre citrus farm. Our idea was to farm the ranch organically and develop related businesses that would help create markets for organic and Biodynamically grown food products.

One afternoon, a group of visitors told us a magical story of a wonderful coffee farm in Mexico that had been growing coffee using organic and Biodynamic techniques for 20 years.

Quick plans were made to visit the Finca Irlanda farm in Chiapas, Mexico. We began a trading relationship with the Peters family of the Finca Irlanda that continues to this day. The Finca Irlanda has served as a model organic coffee farm - training visiting students and regional growers in the art of farming sustainably in a tropical environment.

Our beginnings at Cafe Altura were modest and humble, with very little money, no credit, too many people and way too many pets. We were the first company to introduce organically grown coffee into an industry that still considered coffee a "sin". We slowly found our way to consumers who enjoyed good coffee and wanted to support family farms who were willing to invest in the future of the environment.

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