Ask anyone operating a small business high up in the peaks of Colorado, and they will let you know it’s not an easy job. Yet, people still sign up for the task, or rather adventure, and even manage to carve out their own unique contribution to our mountain culture.

Salto Coffee is one of these establishments: locally owned and operated, born from the ingenuity and vision of owner, Karina Luscher. It has been a little under twelve years since Salto Coffee first opened to become what is now a familiar and friendly place to go for a great cup of coffee in Nederland.

A lot has changed over the years, explains Luscher, “Salto has grown as the town has grown.”

She went on to say,” Since we opened one of our biggest accomplishments is the growth of the coffee programs that we have. We didn’t start roasting our own coffee until about three years into being opened.”

Salto now roasts their beans on-site, every week and only features sustainable, fair-trade, organic selections, sourced from all around the world.

It’s also the growth of these programs that landed in-house roaster Rob Langone on a trip to Columbia to see firsthand the origins of where some of their beans are cultivated.

“Lucky for me Karina was not able to make this trip,” Langone said jokingly. He went on to explain,” Our importer organizes these resource trips to go to various coffee growing regions and this most recent one was in Columbia, centered around women coffee producers.

Columbia is one of the world’s leading coffee producers and women play a key role in the industry. In order to be successful, however, women entrepreneurs of the region will need skills beyond just knowing how to cultivate a good coffee bean.

Women farmers in Columbia face many challenges including gender discrimination, low wages, and a noticeable lack of representation. Yet, they continue to make a positive impact on the industry. More and more are taking on important leadership roles, organizing and advocating for fair wages, and noticeably improving the quality of coffee production.

“It was really amazing to see these women produce their own coffee. They do it all, everything from growing the beans, getting it to the exporter where it’s bagged and we then get them,” said Langone.

Langone went on to describe the trip. “We spent time at these farms where we were able to get a good idea how these women run their farms. They were gracious, so welcoming. We had a few people to help us translate and it was amazing. They cooked us dinner, we cupped coffee and they made us empanadas,” he said.

Luscher added, “To be invited to go on an origin trip by our supplier was really quite an honor.” She went on to say, “It was an opportunity we didn’t want to pass up because we were finally able to connect the dots and bring that knowledge back, even to make what we do have a little more meaning and value.”

Salto offers many ways to support their coffee programs through a variety of subscription options that will get your beans delivered right to your door. They also sell their beans by the bag in-house and wholesale. During this time of year, patrons also get the added benefit of being able to sample one of the special holiday blends.

Salto also offers fresh food items and Luscher wanted to remind everyone of their online ordering options. “If you order online between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., it’s our breakfast happy hour and you’ll get a 10% discount,” she said.

Luscher concluded with, “We are really proud to be able to serve our community for the past eleven plus years and are so excited for the next eleven.”

Salto Coffee is located in Nederland and opens every day at 7 a.m. ready to serve up a hot, delicious cup of joe. You can go online to https://www.saltocoffee.com/ to view their full menu, place an order or learn more about their various coffee programs.