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.

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, with the training of 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 introduced 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.

Our travels brought new and exciting coffees to the Cafe Altura family. We now offer organic coffee from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Hawaii, Mexico, Sumatra, and Colombia. All of our decaffeinated coffees are processed at the certified Swiss Water Process plant in Vancouver, British Columbia. This patented process extracts 97% of the caffeine using only water and steam.
What is Swiss Water Processing

Cafe Altura Coffees are roasted at our facility in Santa Paula, California, a small farming community 25 miles south of Santa Barbara. We use a 25 kilo Probat roaster so we can roast in small batches to ensure freshness and quality control. Plant tours are always available for those willing to brave the earthquakes, floods, and fires of Southern California.