When we moved back to Montana sixteen years ago from Kauai, HI, we could not have further removed ourselves from the coffee industry. The move from management at the largest coffee farm in the United States to an isolated mountain town on the edge of Yellowstone National Park took me away from the ability to remain closely connected with the industry that I worked in for ten years, up to that point. It quickly became apparent after moving back to Montana that not only was I out of the loop with the industry but also, the availability of  high quality coffee was all but non existent. It was at this point in 2004 that my wife Laura and I decided to begin the process of using my coffee industry experience to start a coffee roasting business in West Yellowstone, MT. We opened our doors in 2005 and began the long journey of a small "Mom & Pop" startup. 
There have been many changes to the coffee industry and our business along the way. The increase in roasters and green coffee brokers over the last ten years has brought new innovations and products, but it has also brought with it new fads, major outside investments and acquisitions, and sometimes questionable practices from the farm level on up.   The challenge to find quality raw product and materials at fair and consistent and ethical prices has only gotten harder. 
Operating a small coffee roasting business in one of the most isolated communities  in the lower 48 states, far away from industry centers, trade shows and events is not without it's challenges but, there are times because of our location next to Yellowstone National Park  when those from within the industry happen upon us while visiting. Over the years we have had visitors to our store from across the coffee world. Roasters and coffee brokers from across the country, executives and national sales associates from Starbucks have all visited our store. Innovators in coffee products, coffee farmers and organizations such as Cup of Excellence have all walked through our doors. Old friends from my national sales days as well new  acquaintances and, those who I have met only via social media have all found there way to Yellowstone. 
The most recent serendipitous meeting occurred this winter. Because of some economic and health challenges over the past few years, as well as a love for Yellowstone National Park, I chose to take a position guiding snowcoaches into the park. It has been an incredible experience sharing Yellowstone with people from around the world. I have had the opportunity to meet and guide a diverse group of people including a surprise meeting with yet another coffee industry professional that loves Yellowstone.
It was a cold, blustery and snowy morning  when I loaded a photo tour onto my coach. As we began our day I introduced myself to the photo guide and told him a little about myself. After mentioning the coffee industry, he mentioned that one of the people on board was also in the coffee industry. At our first stop of the day, I approached the man, who looked more than familiar, only to find out that we knew each via social media. 
During my time with Kauai Coffee Company I had the opportunity to attend and work at events put on by the National Coffee Association. Because of this past experience I have always followed and shared the associations content on various social media platforms, because the information they share is of value to my customers. A few years back when the NCA hired a new CEO, I immediately connected on Linkedin with him. I kept up with his blogging and continued to share NCA information. Little did he know his love of photography would land him randomly on my snowcoach in the middle of Yellowstone. 
I had the pleasure of spending the day with William "Bill" Murray, CEO of the National Coffee Association chasing wildlife in a snow storm. The coffee industry once again came to visit me and, further reinforced the fact that the world is indeed a small place. 
At Morning Glory, coffee is our product. Coffee is what we have to offer the world, but for me it is more than the product, it's the inspired people working to make the coffee industry better every day that keep me doing what I do. Even with the challenges ahead for the coffee industry and for our little business I am hopeful to continue along the path of creating great coffee. I hope to continue experiencing those random moments that keep me connected with the great big world of coffee just outside my little mountain town, on the edge of Yellowstone National Park.

For more information about everything coffee checkout the National Coffee Association at www.ncausa.org

For a great cup of coffee check us out at www.morningglorycoffee.net 

We reached a milestone at Morning Glory Coffee. We are now baking for our retail store once again. We stopped baking four years ago.  The reason? We were no longer able to keep up and maintain our family business due to illness. My wife and business partner was subjected to six surgeries in less than three years, including the removal of a kidney due to renal cell carcinoma (Kidney Cancer).
Operating a small business in a small seasonal community has more than enough challenges. Operating a manufacturing facility while one of the owners is surviving cancer and battling a variety of health issues is more than overwhelming. 
The fallout from health issues, and a cancer diagnosis is much different than anyone would expect. We lost multiple retail customers, who could not cope with our situation. We also lost multiple commercial accounts, dropped shortly after we announced what was happening. We spent months wondering if our business would survive, or if we would go bankrupt, losing our house, as well as our business, due to our lack of health insurance. 
​Aside from a few loyal friends and customers who helped, there was no family to fall back on, there were no fundraisers, there were no new accounts to help soften the blow. There was no indication from anyone that we mattered to our community, or that we would be missed if we were gone. In fact there was one person that told us that we did not matter, and if we did not like how things were going, we should just leave.
It was a dark time and confusing time. And the remnants of this struggle still remain in the form of medical bills, continuing healthcare issues, and lost relationships, both personal and business. 
Throughout this struggle, the only person that matters, Laura, persevered. She maintained the family, and continued to see hope in adapting and growing our business. She has dealt with the pain and loss, and focused on moving forward. It is only because of her that Morning Glory Coffee & Tea continues to grow within our community, regionally with wholesale, and throughout the United States via our online catalog. 
It is because of her that I was able to reach outside of our isolated community. With her support, I ran for State Legislature twice in an effort to improve our local and regional community while meeting and networking with others that loved Montana as much as we do. In the process I have been able to meet and network with incredibly talented people from throughout Montana. I have also been appointed a Montana Ambassador with the Governors Office of Economic Development. This has further helped in my ability to reach out and share both our business, and the state that we love, with our customers and the world.
So here we are today. Anxious as ever, producing the best products we can, and growing our small Montana family business. There are great challenges ahead in the near future. Like any business, of any size, we will confront those challenges without knowing the outcome. We will move forward, growing our brand and producing the best coffees and teas that we can. Satisfying one customer at a time. And for the first time in four years, we will begin to make baked goods from scratch for our retail again. It has been fourteen months with no surgeries. It is time to begin again and reinforce what we do best. Creating things that make people smile. 

​20 million+ families in 50 countries work directly in the production of coffee. Around 125 million people worldwide depend on coffee for their livelihoods. When you consider seasonal labor, children and other family members, plus related jobs like the truck driver or port worker — whose work during part of the year depends on earnings that come from processing, transporting and shipping the coffee — the figure quickly multiplies.

Add to this the significant number of people who rely on coffee contributing to a part of their salary, whether from roasting coffee, serving coffee in cafes or restaurants, working at a factory which manufactures coffee equipment, disposable cups for coffee or other industry-related activities, and you will find that  millions more people depend on coffee for at least a part of their salary throughout the world.

Over 500 billion cups of coffee are consumed every year. Each cup will directly or indirectly affect between 600 million and 800 million people worldwide or equivalent to at least 10 percent of the world’s population. The importance of coffee, and the labor involved to produce it cannot be overstated. Coffee is a world economic and cultural force that brings us together. Share a cup with a friend, and celebrate the hard work and human innovation that crosses all political, religious and cultural boundaries to bring us our favorite cup of joe.

It is encouraging and beautiful to see familiar faces concerned for, and working towards a more perfect Montana. It is not just those living in Gallatin Valley, but all of us that live in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem that benefit from a respect for and the conservation of all of our water resources. When we choose a place like Montana to live in, it is of great importance that we understand the history and stories of those who have come before us. It is even more crucial that we understand, respect and manage the resources we have as we grow in population. 
Mountain Time Arts( mountaintimearts.org ), is telling this story in a unique way.  

Some say that the grass is always greener on the other side. I live in a land where the prairie meets the mountains, and the grass doesn't matter so much as the people do.
 With a total area of 147,040 square miles. It is the fourth largest state in the United States after Alaska, Texas, and California; the largest landlocked U.S. state. One would think that the space between communities alone, never mind the long and windy winters, would be less than perfect for creating a statewide community of people and businesses. 
​
Montana is different. The people of Montana embrace the challenges of creating relationships and business opportunities over long distances. More than any other place I have lived or worked, the people of Montana are willing to put competition and ego behind for the benefit of others. They are willing to travel a great distance to meet, share and listen to others, especially if it helps improve the lives and businesses of fellow Montanans.

This sense of community and fellowship was on display this past week at the Innovate Montana Symposium, held in Billings, Montana. Present and future entrepreneurs from around the state gathered together to connect, learn, listen and share.  Unlike similar conventions and symposiums, this event was absent of sales pitches and overblown egos, telling attendees what they were doing wrong, or what they needed to purchase for sure success. This was real people telling real stories from a variety of perspectives. It was a forum where I heard people at varying levels of success (both financial and community) admit there were things they did not know, and mistakes they made.

The panels were diverse in that they communicated that a business person developing a niche in a small community was equally as important as person running an investment firm. The challenges of operating a large pharmaceutical company were not all that different from growing and operating a specialty furniture store in a small eastern Montana town. The challenges of developing an off the grid environmentally friendly home could be applied to the challenges of running a large hotel operation.
In the end, I came away with a better understanding, that all of these people, businesses and places are pieces of a bigger puzzle that completes and grows the economy of Montana. 

There are of course many challenges that we face as business owners in the state of Montana. How do we better finance small businesses, that do not have the fast rate of return investors are looking for. How do we maintain and grow our communities with the least impact on the environment. How do we better communicate and build statewide markets for the products we produce, and how do we incentivize long term revitalization and reinvestment in our rural (and sometimes urban) infrastructure that is quickly eroding and disappearing.

The most important thing is that Montanans are working together, planning and creating opportunities to meet these challenges and others every single day. That is why I am proud to choose Montana as my home. As the author Jennifer Savage write's, "I choose to live where a sturdy fence is still a compliment".

Montana Ambassadors
montanaambassadors.com/
Choose Montana
choosemontana.com/
Innovate Montana
innovatemontana.com/
Jennifer Savage
 mtpr.org/term/jennifer-savage#stream/0

Freshness has always been of great importance at Morning Glory. How we package and ship our coffees after roasting is crucial to how it tastes when it reaches your cup. 
Coffee is sensitive to oxygen, moisture, light and odor. Our specially produced bags insure protection from the elements, while a one-way degassing valve allows for the release of naturally occurring carbon dioxide. When you open your bag of Morning Glory, you are greeted with a fresh aroma and a quality cup each and every time.
After opening we recommend storing your coffee in an airtight, dry place. Do not place in the refrigerator or freezer, where your coffee will be affected by moisture and odors. ​