Our Yerba Mate Source
We source our organic, fair trade yerba mate from a four-generation family farm in the state of Misiones in northeastern Argentina. To read the story of how we discovered this beautiful farm, go here. We coined the term UNSMOKED to describe the unique drying method that our farmers employ, which uses warm air instead of the typical wood smoke to dry the leaves after harvest. Visit our Unsmoked Yerba Mate blog for more information on the benefits of drying yerba mate with warm air versus smoke. After drying, our yerba mate is aged for a minimum of nine months to allow the flavor to mellow. Our family farmers are committed to ecological farming. Their traditional methods leave dense corridors of native forest intact. We have partnered with our farm to plant thousands of native trees within the yerba mate groves to create shade, stabilize soil, and promote biodiversity. Fair trade dollars from the sale of ECOTEAS yerba mate have funded a variety of projects including infrastructure development, school construction, health care access, and a village playground.