Desert Sun Rises

Coffee roaster finds market for organic, fair-trade beans

August 8, 2007
By Chuck Slothower| Herald Staff Writer

Since its founding in 2004, Desert Sun Coffee Roasters has grown at an energetic clip as coffee shops continue to open their doors in and around Durango.

The company, based in Bodo Industrial Park, has doubled its gross revenues every year and will near that mark again this year, said owner Glenn Lathrop.

Lathrop started the company himself as a one-man operation. He now has four full-time employees and one part-time worker. The company recently moved into a larger, 2,300-square-foot building.

Desert Sun supplies many of the beans to make the coffee that java-lovers sip in Durango.

Desert Sun distributes its coffee to local cafes such as Durango Joe's (easily its largest client, according to Lathrop), Durango Doughworks and Pure Soul Coffee Co. It sells coffee in retail outlets including Albertsons, Durango Natural Foods and Nature's Oasis.

Restaurants including Sow's Ear, Ore House and the Aspen Cafe pour its coffee. Even the Durango Fire & Rescue Authority has a Desert Sun account.

Avalanche Coffee House & Bakery in Silverton began serving Desert Sun coffee when new owner Stephanie Reigh took over the shop June 1.

"I had had it in Durango, and I do like their coffee," Reigh said. "And I wanted to keep the product that I serve here in Silverton local. They seemed to be the best for carrying local product."

The only other company that roasts beans in Durango is Durango Coffee Co.

Durango Joe's owner Joe Lloyd said he worked with Lathrop, who he counts as a friend, while the Desert Sun owner was developing his beans.

"He got pretty good at it," Lloyd said. Eventually, Lloyd phased out Oregon coffee beans he had been carrying in favor of Desert Sun's beans.

Lathrop said he wants to take Desert Sun regional, expanding into areas of the Four Corners his beans do not yet reach. He wants to do so while emphasizing fair-trade and organic beans, which he long ago chose as Desert Sun's market niche. "We really try to focus on the social aspects of the industry," Lathrop said.

Desert Sun is certified organic on an annual basis by Quality Certification Services of Gainesville, Fla. Desert Sun actually undergoes a physical inspection by QCS each year to retain its
certification.

Desert Sun is also a member of Cooperative Coffees, a roaster-owned group that Lathrop said is the only cooperative of its kind in North America. Cooperative Coffees works to build "direct, equitable fair-trade relationships" between roasters and growers, according to its Web site.

Desert Sun is one of 22 members of Cooperative Coffees. The co-op buys beans from Bolivia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Rwanda and
Indonesia.

Desert Sun is also sponsoring, along with the Adult Education Center, a showing of the documentary "Black Gold." The film traces the story of Ethiopian coffee growers' battle for higher prices. The film is showing at 4 p.m., Sept. 9, at the Abbey Theatre, and donations will go toward building a school library in Ethiopia.