NUMI Organic Tea

Weekly Green E-Tip: Plastic vs. Real

2011-12-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

This week's Green e-tip is brought to you by The Numi Green Tea'm!

The topic is:

Christmas Trees: Which is more environmentally friendly - a plastic tree that you can use year after year or the real deal?

Many environmentally conscious people worry that buying a real tree may encourage deforestation, but most trees these days come from sustainable tree farms catering specifically to the Christmas tree industry.

The tree farms are usually reasonably close to cities, so the transport emissions related side of things isn't too extreme either.

Additionally, fir and pine trees tend to grow very quickly and many species will thrive in very poor soils. In some parts of the world, including Australia, pine trees are considered a weed. On a chunk of land I used to own, the pines were more vigorous and prolific than the native trees.

As trees grow, they also suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. While much of it re-enters the atmosphere as the tree decomposes, depending on the disposal method (such as composting), some of that carbon is sequestered in soil.

In regard to pesticide use, according to a study from NC State University it takes 1/4 of an ounce of pesticides over the life of the tree before it is harvested.

If that concerns you and you would rather a pesticide-free Xmas tree, you can always opt for an organically grown Christmas tree!
Here's a list of organic Christmas tree farms in the USA:

As for artificial Xmas trees, they are usually made of plastic and unless it's recycled plastic, it has required a great deal of fossil fuel in its manufacture. Oil is used for not only the plastic itself and other inputs, but as these trees are usually manufactured overseas the transport emissions are quite high.

Disposal can also be a problem once the tree gets ratty if it's not a recyclable plastic as it can take hundreds of years to break down and will often leach toxic chemicals in the process.

Christmas tree alternatives

• You don't have to use a fir or pine - perhaps another sort of tree native to your area could be a possibility. A live one of course, one you can use over a number of years and then plant in your back yard as well. And no, I'm not suggesting reefing one out your local parklands - buy one :). Start your own family Christmas tradition in terms of the species of tree!

• And remember - as there are no Christmas tree police, you don't have to have a tree at all. The fir as a Christmas tree dates back only hundreds of years, not thousands, so it's a relatively recent tradition.

To a peaceful and green holiday season!

In Good Company Q&A with Lauren Bardelline

2011-10-07T15:49:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I sat down with Erin O'Hara to chat with her about her experience volunteering with In Good Company. Well Erin wasn't the only Numi tea'm member that was lucky enough to be part of this awesome program. Lauren Bardelline was also able to share this experience with her. Check out what Lauren had to say about her time with In Good Company!

Hi Lauren, what was it that inspired you to get involved with In Good Company?

I’m a Bay Area transplant from Metro Detroit, and I wanted an opportunity to get to know my city better. West Oakland reminds me of Detroit in many ways, so even though Oakland has only been my home for four years, this project helped draw a connection between my old home and my new home.

Very cool. So you're not originally from Oakland... How was that, being completely entrenched in work around the city? What was your favorite project?

My favorite project was working with City Slicker Farms to help build a toolshed at their Fitzgerald Park site. As an avid crafter, I enjoyed the opportunity to work with my hands and learn some new woodworking skills.

Accountant by day, crafty handywoman by night! So aside from getting your hands dirty and digging into some of these big projects, what was your favorite part of this whole experience?

Definitely the people: Our housemates, West Oakland residents and all of the folks we worked with at the non-profits. Being surrounded by so many people who are so passionate about their community was inspiring.

Yes, being surrounded by great people always makes for a memorable experience! Switching gears a bit; one thing I feel like I hear a lot is that people want to volunteer or help out in their own communities but don’t know where to start or maybe don’t have time, do you have any advice for these people?

It’s easy to find an excuse to not get out there and get your hands dirty. Be proactive about it - set a deadline and get out there. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors about your community to find out what’s going on. You never know who you might inspire to volunteer with you.

Couldn't agree with you more. Thanks for sharing this with me and Numi's blog readers everywhere!

Tisha Winters
PR & Social Media Coordinator, Numi Organic Tea

In Good Company Q&A with Erin O'Hara!

2011-09-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

In Good Company is a fantastic program that grew out of Clif Bar & Company’s long tradition of community service and the certainty that collaboration among businesses can be a powerful force for positive change.

IGC has made a commitment to improving people’s lives – through direct volunteer service, by creating a program that raises awareness about people’s needs. IGC is committed to promoting healthy, sustainable communities locally and globally.

Every year, values-driven companies join together to make a difference through hands-on action and volunteerism. Their hope is to bring awareness to important issues and communities in need. The first project was in 2008 in New Orleans to help rebuild one of the communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina and the continuing aftermath. Approximately a dozen companies started the tradition of coming together.

There are now more than 20 companies that participate and there are three sites in 2011 – West Oakland, New Orleans and Hopi Reservation!

I sat down with Erin O'Hara, Numi's Product Marketing Manger, to talk to her about her experience with In Good Company.

Hi Erin, what inspired you to get involved with In Good Company?

I did the Peace Corps about 8 years ago and it changed my life. Since being back in the US and dealing with life changes, and career moves, I never got fully involved in a consistent community project, just one-off events, and I felt like something was missing. In Good Company not only sounded like Peace Corps for a week, but I loved the focus on the green and sustainable areas. These are key things that Numi focuses on as a company, and being on our internal “Green Team” I wanted to learn more – the solar panel project, the urban gardening, and the environmental impact of bamboo. The fact that it all took place in a community Numi sits right next to also had more impact – I drive by this neighborhood everyday and I know practically nothing about it. I wanted to know more, have my naive presumptions challenged and feel a part of something bigger.

You did a lot of work around Oakland, what was your favorite project?

I loved them all because they were so different. I enjoyed City Slickers because of the mini-urban oasis of a garden farm and my passion for food. Grid Alternatives was great because we got to meet the residents who were the beneficiaries. And Urban Biofilter was amazing because of the enormous scale and impact the bamboo project could have. More than anything, what was so striking is that the change was coming from within the community. The people who run these nonprofits live in or right near West Oakland, they have built deep relationships with many of the community members and genuinely care and are involved. All of the projects felt very rooted – and it made for an authentic and powerful experience.

Aside from getting your hands dirty and digging into some of these big projects, what was your favorite part of this whole experience?

I now love power tools, dirt and sweat. Much of the work involved carpentry – so we were all using electric saws, hammers, and other crazy machinery. Little did I know that I had such skills and that I look great in a hardhat. I also have to say it was refreshing and invigorating to be working out of the office and in the open air.

A lot of people want to volunteer or help out in their own communities but don’t know where to start or maybe don’t have time, do you have any advice for these people?

Simple searches online and even walking around your community are a great way to start. There are so many different ways to lend a hand and no one is going to turn away help.

Numi's Inception Part II, from Numi's CEO & Co-Founder, Ahmed Rahim

2011-08-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

As an artist for the past 20 plus years, running a major business in the U.S. is not a Bohemian adventure, nor is it something that many artists can jump into with courage and motivation, especially if one is not trained or experienced in operating a business. Business works more off the conscious mind, with lots of decisions being made on a daily basis, including financial capital needs, intricacies with human resources and the legalities of operating a for-profit business. The creation of art for me is living more in the unconscious, and tapping into the spiritual powers of one’s emotions, thoughts and the intangible world of dreams and fantasies, creating what “feels right” and feeds off the “senses”. For about 10 years I lived in various cities across Europe & and another 5 years in NYC developing my skills in painting, writing, photography, film making, musical and getting my hands busy in many types of building projects; from mosaic making to stone work and the beauties of building houses and planting gardens. So in creating a business with my sister, who is also a trained artist, I remind myself every day, that we too are creating something different than just a business; an experience and lifestyle that has an effect on everything it touches, similar to an art piece.

The dream in this journey is born in every moment and lives strong in NUMI, from the passionate and dedicated tea’m that drive the business forward; our core values of creativity and innovation; our major initiatives with sustainability, saving the planet and the people that make our products; and much more. It gives us a profound purpose that business can have meaning when you do it with more intentions thaen just selling a product. It gives our internal tea’m and our external communitea a larger sense of connection by providing both the mysterious forms that is found in art and innovation as well as feeling like you are making a difference each day by giving back to the world around you…and of course, having an incredible product that is premium and tastes great! From the decisions made in our supply chain to the types of products we market, each step is done with such care and feeling, that it reminds me like we are creating a large masterpiece. Being the first to bring exotic organic herbs and teas from across the world with bountiful health benefits and deep roots in the history of origins allows us to share this culture and ceremony of how it sustained itself for hundreds of years and still praised for its affects and healing properties. This is the beauty and inspiration that keeps me going every day; fueling to continue to open the boundaries and create new experiences that have never existed before, or ones that have lived in deep tradition, but through NUMI are allowed to be shared and cared for by the greater public…this is so special!!!

Being a part of a vision that is manifested by creativity, strong values for nature and people and infused with love and turned into a product that is enjoyed by thousands of people across the world is something so special, that it’s hard to find words to describe the feelings. It almost feels like a communitea of people that share in our values and the journey we take to bring these exotic premium organic herbs and teas across the planet to our local markets. It is incredible to watch how teas and herbs travel across the globe, starting in small remote villages that are so far from what we take for granted in our daily lives. These villagers with very little in their lives, love to cultivate and produce the best quality organic teas and herbs, but the journey it takes to leave these villages to get across the world is almost like a miracle. Each time it happens, it is like we have been blessed by the powers of nature and the people who love what they do every day. Our commitment to organic and fair trade provides a greater reward, acting as stewards to mother earth and the farmers/villagers. Being a part of this global communitea is a rare feeling; one that I believe we are in need of more and more, especially as the world gets smaller through ease of travel, communication accessibility and internet technology.

Travelling across the world to remote villages in China, India, Africa, South America and other countries to source our organic herbs and teas reminds us to get even more intimate and committed to our core values of organic and fair trade. When you witness the way people live in these developing countries, you take ownership and responsibility to care for them, especially as we strive to grow our partnerships and find more ways to create stronger fair trade programs. I have learned so much during our travels about the local farming, the villages, their needs to live simple lives and how we can bring the ceremonial attributes of these teas and herbs to the US. On one trip to China, I met a man in the Yunnan Mountains who at the age of 31 was called a hero! The Chinese Gov’t leased him hundreds of acres of land in the high mountains to grow tea, but there was no road access to these high mountainous regions, so he recruited a very poor community from Northern China where he grew up to pave the road. In doing so, they were all given housing, paid well beyond a fair wage and experienced many things in their lives that they may have never seen if they lived their entire lives in their poor village. I really wish everyone can see and experience the journey these herbs and teas take to get from one place to another as well as the lives of these farmers compared to how we live in the US. It is an experience and education that is life long, and reminds me that we can make a difference each and every day by making the decisions that help our communitea. The people we can touch and help every day if we really care is so inspiring and gives me a purpose to forge ahead with the business at NUMI.

These intentions have a ripple effect, and I personally hope that NUMI’s business model has an impact beyond our customers, our farmers, the earth and other businesses, but will transcend time as a role model for others in years to come. So it is thru this creation and mindfulness in NUMI that makes it beyond just the product; it allows everyone to learn and experience a life full of abundance for themselves and those that need it most, including the care for nature around us. It is what feeds us and keeps us strong every day. Sometimes, we miss the obvious and look through the forest without ever seeing the trees. If we stopped more often to smell the roses and watch the beauties right in front of us, we can give more love and create so many magical wonders that make all our moments matter so much more…

Numi's Inception Part I, from Numi's CEO & Co-Founder, Ahmed Rahim

2011-08-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

Starting NUMI was a major decision beyond just starting a business; it was about lifestyle, place of living, the way the mind works, and many more intricacies that wasn’t even clear to me at that time. My sister and I had the idea in late 1998 on a trip our family took to the Grand Canyon, but I was still living on my farm in Europe and couldn’t even imagine living in the US and running a business. I was torn by the idea for many reasons; living the Bohemian life in Europe was quite nice, and after 10 years, it was becoming my home. I had beautiful tea houses in Prague, an apartment in Paris and Prague, a farm in the countryside, large communitea of friends and artists all across the European countries, and a sense that I was becoming a true artist, focused on developing these skills in my thirties…so why even consider putting my mind and heart into business??? In fact, I thought business was corrupt, capitalism was greedy, and everything that is needed to run a major business, not worth my time and energy. On one of my rare trips to United States in late 1998 (same time my sister and I discussed the idea of NUMI), I went to my father with lots of hesitation to ask him if he would sponsor me for 2 years. I wanted to live full time on my farm and become a full time artist. To that point I was mostly making a living from photography and film making as well as some small income from my tea houses, but my heart was pulling me towards painting, sculpting, building with natural materials and overall living in the countryside. I asked him if he would give me $1,500 a month for two years so I could live on my farm in Europe and pursue my creative endeavors so that I did not need to live in the day to day hustle of city life and the “rat race” of survival. He said YES…!!! I was really surprised, shocked; didn’t even know what to say, but obviously thanked him and left our discussion more confused of my destiny. The idea of NUMI was also spinning in my head, but that was an unknown; Art was my calling and I really wanted to give it my 110%. I knew I would create beautiful work, given the opportunity to focus on it all the time…BUT I took 180 degree turn, didn’t want the free ride from my dad’s kindness and told my sister I would work with her to create NUMI!

To be continued...

Part II: How Reem Rahim, Numi's Co-Founder, fell into tea

2011-06-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

I think what I learned from my accident and my life led me to Numi. The accident made me a more humble person. It made me realize that I was not infallible or invincible. That life was fragile and precious. And that any sense of pride or arrogance were chips on my shoulder that could easily be knocked off. While I always appreciated beauty, simplicity and slowness, now more than ever, I lived it. My sense of spirituality and mysticism grew more and more in the comfort that there was something greater than myself, and I started to explore all types of mystical thinking to connect with that source.

A few years after returning from Italy, I started my Masters in Fine Arts at John F Kennedy University in their Department of Arts and Consciousness Studies. At this point, art and life were aligned for me and I continued both inner exploration and outward artistic expression. I began working on social, cultural and political themes in my artwork. The idea of Numi came about a year into my studies as I sat in a critique class and began feeling that mine and other students’ self-absorptions weren’t enough. Art only had relevance and, ultimately, power if it enabled transformation in both the maker and the viewer. After a bad day at work substitute teaching, I felt compelled to listen to an inner voice that reminded me of my ideas and potential and recalled advice my father once told me: Just choose one thing; it doesn’t matter what that thing is, but master that. And so I chose Numi.

“Numi” is a dried lime we drank as children in Iraq. Iraqis drink this tea all day long and is the tea of welcome at people’s homes and shops. We drink it with lots of sugar in small glass stikans. I had always thought: what a great idea if someone would bring this tea to America. On a family trip to the Grand Canyon, I mentioned it to my younger brother, Ahmed and low and behold he had been thinking the same exact thing. Synchronicity is the ultimate indicator of fate and knowing you are on the right track. Initially, we were going to save $5,000 each of our own moneys, but then with some help from our father, we were able to start Numi (basing the company name on this inspirational Iraqi tea) out of my small apartment in Oakland, CA. Ahmed brought his years running tea houses in Prague to the tea formulations and became the Alchemist; I brought my art to the packaging and painted small, meditative scenes, many of which came from Ahmed’s photos from his world travels.

Numi is both the culmination and stepping stone of my journey.

Its manifestation as a tea product has been the perfect marriage for me. Our company vision is to inspire well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Tea is liquid meditation, reminding us to enter a time and space to find our own thoughts and visions. My pride in my heritage; the education, smarts and hard work passed down from my family; the trauma I incurred at a young age; and my creative spirit all helped to define who I am and what I hope to pass on in simple ways through what I do every day at work. I truly believe that it just takes an idea, courage, hard work, stepping out of a presumed box and staying true to yourself that you can accomplish whatever you want.

Part I: How Reem Rahim, Numi's Co-Founder, fell into tea...

2011-05-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Many people ask me how I got into tea. Actually, the question is not so much how did I get into tea but rather how I got into tea after getting into art after getting into engineering?

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio after my family immigrated from Baghdad, Iraq when I was five. My father was a doctor who worked around the clock raising his children, putting them through good schools with aspirations for a better life than the foreboding dictatorship that was ensuing in our native country (we left in 1971). While some assimilate quickly and leave their language and traditions behind, other immigrants, like my parents, recoil into their cultural traditions. We were only allowed to speak Arabic at home; I was not allowed to date (although I did secretly); and we were expected to become lawyers, doctors or engineers – the paths to “stability”.

Naturally, my siblings and I did assimilate and became pretty Americanized. At the same time, our regular visits to Baghdad and visits from our relatives kept the roots and pride in our heritage alive and well. I also grew up feeling a strong sense of being an outsider. In suburban Ohio, being an Arab in the 70’s meant your father had “an oil field in his backyard” or your cousins “rode on camels” or your food was dirty… and the like. My mother also had a constant yearning to return to Iraq and, for a long time, I clung to that longing as well. My brother and I never quite fit in and I believe that many like me end up inventing themselves: roots and character coming from one place and personality and psyche landing in another. With family dynamics, stories and patterns mixed in to boot. Mine was a special case of intense dichotomies: rich Iraqi culture and traditions at home with two very successful and driven parents, an artistic and intellectual lineage, a strong thread of women renegades, my own simple, sensitive and complex soul, and an oppressive Iraqi dictator that never stopped overshadowing our lives and kitchen table stories even 100’s of thousands of miles away. And then there was America, land of free thinking and being. Girls dated boys before they married. The opportunities were endless.

I was always at home in my art. I drew, sewed, knitted; my hands never stopped moving. When I was twelve I wrote an autobiography describing the killing of my favorite uncle, and decided then that I would be an artist when I grew up. Unfortunately, though I won numerous awards and recognitions in school for my art projects, when it came time to choose a college major, art was not in my cards. Leaving Cleveland wasn’t either. So, I settled for Biomedical Engineering at our local university, an interesting field that won my parents’ approval and that challenged the mathematical and scientific part of my mind. I always took art or liberal arts classes to feed my creativity. Contrary to most stereotypes, my sister and I studied engineering while my brothers studied liberal arts (to the protests of my parents).

To my dismay, in the summer of my junior year I was in a near fatal auto accident. The car crushed both of my legs, dislocating the bones and completely severing the arteries behind my knees. I was nearly an amputee from the knees down, yet, a series of miraculous surgeries managed to save my legs. After one month in the hospital and eight surgeries, I went home in a wheelchair with full leg casts, broken bones, stretched sciatic nerves and a changed life. I learned how to walk again with a walker and endured another seven or so surgeries over the next ten years. While I did finish school and began work in my field, the depression and traumatic effects on my body and psyche took over my self-confidence and ability to focus. Not coming from a background where therapy or self-expression was accepted, I was imploding. Art was my only recourse for healing. Knowing I only had one life to live and with money earned from a lawsuit (another story), I decided to go to art school. From there, I decided to take a semester course in Italy, which led me to study under incredible teachers whose lessons aimed at healing and spiritual transformation – exactly what I needed. I continued to study with them in Florence for two years and still attend their workshops to this day, more than sixteen years later.

Numi has a brand new look and a brand new website

2011-05-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that we have a different look! While some may be disappointed that we have removed my paintings from the fronts of the packaging, we felt like it was time for a change. While the paintings reflected an ephemeral and provocative feeling, we were missing the most important aspect of our teas – their great taste! We want to highlight what makes our teas different – a fuller leaf tea blended with with 100% real fruits, flowers and spices that create a natural and authentic taste. All blends have stayed the same, only packaging has changed. With this change, we took the opportunity to tell more of our story and reflect our values as a company. Each panel of our boxes shares our commitment to eco-responsibiliti as well as stories from the fair Trade gardens and efforts from our tea’m to bring you a consistent product. Our new website is designed to highlight the Numi difference. We hope you enjoy navigating through it to learn about our company and our teas. We appreciate your continued support through our transition.

Reem, Co-Founder & Creative Director

A long and exciting weekend at Expo West!

2011-03-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

The Numi tea'm is back in Oakland after an arduous but exciting weekend at Natural Products Expo West!

This show marked the unveiling of our new packaging to the natural products industry. Reception was great and the booth was abuzz as guests experienced an “always real, never fake” sensorial display that showcased the 100 percent real ingredients we use to blend our teas, compared with the “natural” flavorings prevalent in most competitive tea products.

“For more than a decade, Numi Organic Tea has elevated the tea drinker’s experience through the alchemy of blending fine teas with real ingredients for pure flavor,” said Ahmed Rahim, co-founder and CEO of Numi Organic Tea. “We feel this fresh new face to Numi’s beloved teas can better express our celebration of people, the planet and pure tea.”

Expo West kicked off an active month as we take on the LA area for Earth Month, educating students, film buffs, yogis and other tea drinkers on the importance of drinking tea made from real, organic ingredients. Throughout March and April, you can find us at events like Go Green Expo, USC’s Festival of Books, Earth Day on the Promenade and Artisanal LA.

Stay tuned as we KEEP IT REAL IN LA!

Celebrating change...

2011-02-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Kicking off 2011 and wrapping up the Winter Fancy Foods Show, the Numi tea’m celebrated by throwing a party at HUB Soma. Friends and family were all invited to celebrate our most recent innovations and what is to be a big year for us.

Jesse Jacobs, founder of Samovar, and Hari Munoz, former CEO for Yogi Tea in Europe were the party’s guest speakers and party attendees were all ears as they provided insight on the past, present, and future of the tea industry.

DJ Jef Stott warmed up the crowd with mellow house beats and Mucho Axe really got the party started with their South American world grooves.

“In celebration of Numi’s brand refresh, we wanted to host a party that reflected our core values,” said Diana Agtane, Numi’s Event Coordinator. “Despite major changes, we have stayed true to ourselves and had fun while doing it.”

Thank you to our friends and family who came to HUB Soma and celebrated Numi’s latest innovations with us. And a special thank you to all of our sponsors: Gelateria Naia, Clear Grape, DeLoach Winery, Linden Brewery, Square One Vodka, Tcho Chocolates, Just Desserts, Herspring Gibbs, Pop Chips, Galaxy Desserts, Julian’s Recipe, HUB SoMA, and Artisana Nut Butters.

Eating Between the Lines: An Interview with writer Kimberly Lord Stewart

2011-01-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

1. What is your overall message to your readers about how to take charge of what they eat?
We live in a candy store, literally and figuratively, which means it can be difficult to say no to tempting treats and overeating. In my opinion, taking charge means focusing on items at the perimeter of the grocery store and only venturing into the inner aisles for whole grains, healthy oils, fruit juices and of course coffee and tea. Taking charge also means moderation, a treat a week or a small indulgence goes a long way toward staying sensibly healthy.

2. Your book encourages people to spend more time knowing what goes into their food, including reading ingredients labels on packaging. Do you have any tips on how to encourage busy people to spend more time in the grocery store prior to making a purchase?
I recommend that shoppers invest some time in two-or-three lengthy trips at their favorite grocery store to study up on healthy products. Look for hidden sources of trans fats, excess calories, low fiber and high sugar content and compare these foods to healthier options. Healthy brands may be less familiar than conventional brands, but once shoppers get comfortable with healthier choices, the next shopping trip will take less time.

3. A recent study from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found that beverage consumption more directly affects weight gain than food. How do you steer busy people away from sugary, grab-n-go beverages as a quick energy fix?
With some soft drinks containing as much or more than 10 teaspoons of sugar, this finding is not that surprising. One of the reasons shoppers fail to grasp the high-sugar content is because sugar is listed in grams. Few of us remember our high school chemistry well enough to know that 40 grams is 10 teaspoons. And few of us would pour 10 teaspoons of sugar in our coffee or tea, yet when it’s in a pre-made drink, the sugar is invisible and so are the calories. So if there is one number to remember, it is that 4g of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. Look for beverages with less than two teaspoons of sweeteners or seek out recently launched stevia-sweetened drinks for a natural no-calorie option.

4. In terms of tea, what are the main things you tell your readers to look out for on a packaging label?
Tea is a new language for many shoppers. For instance, many people think orange pekoe is a type of tea. Pekoe is about the quality of the leaf, meaning the tea was plucked from the bud and top two leaves. In recent years, there are more options than tea in a bag with a cotton string and a paper tag. I encourage tea drinkers to learn about tea by breaking open a tea bag and examining the contents. If the leaves are finely ground, then it is tea dust, a low-quality tea. If the goal is truly good tasting tea, with all the flavor and health properties tea is known for, look for green, black or white tea with whole leaves (not fine tea dust) and if desired, find brands with whole fruit and whole leaf herbal flavorings rather than sprayed-on oils.

5. You are a strong advocate for organic and fair trade sourcing in all ingredients, particularly tea and coffee. Can you speak to how these sourcing practices may affect product quality?
I tell readers that if you are one who frequently wakes in the morning saying, “I can’t live without my morning tea or coffee,” remember there are millions of others who literally cannot live without your support. The coffee and tea industry is made up of thousands and thousands of workers who work for low pay and under extreme conditions of pesticide exposure and backbreaking work. By purchasing tea and coffee with a fair trade and organic label, shoppers provide workers with a fair wage, no pesticide exposure for workers and their families, and social programs that provide a better quality of life for the entire village, not just the farm workers.

6. You are a self-described farmer’s daughter. How has this helped your understanding of what goes into the food you eat, even with distantly cultivated products like tea?
I’ve grown to realize that farming can be a thankless job. Few of us ever meet the people who keep our children fed and our grocery cart full. I have a deep appreciation for farmers who make a living on very slim margins, which is why I try to buy local foods directly from farmers.

7. You have a new book coming out about your journey back to trace your roots on a family farm in Michigan. Can you give us a sneak peak about your big takeaway from this transformative experience?
I recently spent five months living on a 120-year old farm in Michigan. I learned that living in farm time, with the ebb and flow of the seasons, is very gratifying as well as challenging. Small farmers face many obstacles like economic pressure to sell out to bigger farms and the unforgiving banking industry that favors big subsidy farming.

8. Tell us about one of your favorite tea rituals.
Ritual is the perfect word. Many years ago, I worked for an international airline. In countries like India, Japan and even the United Kingdom, I learned about the importance of taking time for tea. Since then, I’ve collected teapots, teacups and tea. Most afternoons, whether I am in an office or at home, I take some time for a proper cup. If time is scarce, I use tea bags, but I prefer loose tea brewed in a favorite pot and enjoyed with a little quiet time and a good read.

BIO: Kimberly Lord Stewart is a Colorado-based food journalist and author. Since 1994, she worked as an editor for publications dedicated to the business of organic and healthy food. Recently Stewart learned about farming firsthand while living on a centennial farm in Michigan. Follow her food and farming exploits at www.eatingbetweenthelines.net. Stewart’s first book, Eating Between the Lines (St Martins Press, 2007), tells readers about organic and conventional food labeling.

Stickin' to it in 2011!

2011-01-03T12:08:00.001-08:00

Jen Markus
PR Consultant, Numi Organic Tea

“What are we looking for to be happy? Everything is already here.”
--Thich Naht Hanh

New Year’s resolutions can be a great way to jump start the New Year, but if we set unrealistic expectations, they become a burden that most of us abandon before Valentine’s Day. How can we make our New Year’s resolutions foster positive change in our lives without imposing unrealistic goals and unnecessary guilt? As a veteran of making resolutions and forgetting completely about them within weeks, I’ve given some thought to how making the right resolutions might be able to become a lifestyle change:

Keep your goals simple. A general goal such as losing weight or doing more yoga might quickly seem vague and daunting. Adding one yoga class/week to your schedule or running an extra thirty minutes/week might be more achievable.

Nourish yourself. Setting a resolution that rewards you – rather than punishes you – may help incorporate that resolution into your overall lifestyle. Set aside five minutes a day for yourself, allow yourself to sit still and meditate in the morning, light a candle on your bedside table and sit quietly before turning out the light at night, turn off the TV and read a few pages of a book instead. Sneaking a few minutes of solitude and quiet time into each day can do wonders for recharging your batteries.

Breathe. Remembering to take a few deep breaths periodically throughout the day improves circulation, relaxes and energizes the body, and helps eliminate CO2 toxins. Put sticky notes saying “breathe” in various places around your house, your car, even at your desk at work. Make a point to breathe deeply during every red light on your commute. Take five deep breaths before that conference call, before picking your kids up from school or as you wait in line at the supermarket. It will wonders to you and those around you.

Stretch. According to the American Council on Exercise, stretching even three times a week can help improve our overall quality of life. Dedicating more time to stretching after each workout, or even taking five minutes to stretch during a long day at the desk, will help your mental clarity, prevent injury and improve flexibility over time.

Practice the art of cultivation. One of the definitions of “cultivate” is to improve the growth of something through labor and attention. Cultivation is not a quick fix, it’s a consistent practice involving small steps.

In other words, drink more tea. Drinking even 1-2 cups of tea each day has been shown to help improve your overall health. Tea is loaded with flavonols, a type of antioxidant which has several potential health benefits including fighting free radicals in the body. Tea is also shown to aid in digestion, increase circulation, and provide a focused sense of relaxed energy with lower levels of caffeine than coffee. Drinking tea is a simple ritual that enables you to nourish yourself, take a few minutes to slow down, breathe and stretch, and cultivate positive change in your life and the world around you, one cup of tea at a time.

Tea Memories

2010-12-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

Jen Markus
PR Consultant, Numi Organic Tea

Take a small break out of the day on any given morning or afternoon – long enough to step away from the daily tasks and the noise, and sit with a steaming hot cup of tea. Hold a warm teacup between your hands, blow on the steam, inhale the aroma, slurp your first sip. The ritual around drinking a cup of tea has a meditative quality that can help transport you to a distant place or memory within a few seconds. In this small but precious span of time, take a moment to observe where your mind takes you. What is your deepest, earliest tea memory?

I grew up around a grandmother who loved to drink tea. My grandmother loved a cup of tea every afternoon – very weak (just a quick dip in & out of the hot water) black tea with a spot of milk and sugar. Throughout my childhood I’d join her for long afternoons of tea and games of gin rummy. I can remember the smell of the cushioned, plastic-covered card table that my grandfather would unfold for my grandmother and I. Classical music always played on the radio in the background. The knickknacks and books that followed them in every house they lived in. It wasn’t that I especially loved cards; it was that I loved cards with Grandma. She always wanted to play with me, never complained if I forgot rules or if the games lasted forever. She acted super impressed when I first learned how to shuffle a deck of cards, and as her hands became slow and shaky, knuckles swelled with rheumatoid arthritis, I became the official shuffler. She’d pepper the card games with stories or bits of advice, which would lead into an afternoon of conversation. Unbeknownst to me I was taking away invaluable words of wisdom that would inevitably help form me as a person.

Grandma was cool. She walked with a brace and cane – a lasting scar from childhood polio – and with her dresses, jewelry, makeup and coiffed hair, she was always put together even if she didn’t leave the house all day. But somehow, though a voracious love of reading, she absorbed everything from classic English literature to experimental poetry. She somehow always knew what was in fashion that season, what was happening politically and in the sports world, and always, always had lots to talk about with me. She was a teacher, a writer, a poet; as she waited in the car interminably while my Grandfather and I walked the dog, fed the ducks in the local pond, grabbed sandwiches for lunch, she would compose poems in her head and recite them to us when we returned. In her eighties, she wrote a novel by longhand and I still have reams of yellow legal pads with drafts upon drafts of her creation. Those hours spent over the years of my childhood, then adolescence, then adulthood, sitting with my Grandmother and talking over a cup of tea, shaped me in profound ways.

To this day, every time I sit down to write a cup of tea accompanies me. If any of you care to write about your own deep tea memory, send it in and we’ll post it here.

Toasted Rice Green: A foray into savory tea

2010-12-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

Jen Markus
PR Consultant, Numi Organic Tea

I admit it: I commit a cardinal sin according to tea connoisseurs of the world. I am a daily tea drinker, and I’ve had the honor of attending tastings with some true tea experts, including Numi’s co-founders, Ahmed and Reem. I’ve learned to detect flavor variations and subtleties as broad as a flight of wine – but in most instances, were I to enjoy a pot of tea on any given afternoon, I will sweeten it just a bit. I don’t really admit to this gauche practice in the company of the experts. I’m well aware that connoisseurs will poo-poo you if you admit to adding anything to a high-quality cup of tea. But I love my tea with just a spot of honey or agave to take the edge off.

However, I’ve come across one variety of green tea that has such an amazing, savory taste that it stands alone without any sweetener. Toasted Rice Green – also known as Gen Mai Cha – is blended with toasted rice, and has a deeply satisfying aroma and flavor all by itself. It makes a great mid-morning or mid-afternoon cup, with a warm, toasty note that is wholly fulfilling.

An excellent tea has transformative powers, and this is certainly true for Toasted Rice Green. As I sit at my desk on this crisp, fall afternoon with a cup of Toasted Rice Green, the savory aroma wafts into the air along with the steam. I am viscerally reminded of early foggy mornings in Southeast Asian markets, of steamed buns in straw baskets and sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, of piping hot curries served over rice noodles. Of one of my favorite desserts, sticky rice and black beans steamed with coconut milk in bamboo. You peel back strips of bamboo and fish out warm chunks of glutinous goodness with your fingers. It’s pure, lazy, mid-afternoon decadence.

They say the olfactory sense is a human being’s oldest sense – that our earliest memories are scent memories. Certainly, scent memories are some of my strongest, and subliminally put me into a state of mind before I’ve consciously identified the connection. I suppose this is the case with Toasted Rice Green. It’s like the comfort food of teas for me.

Toasted Rice Green, or Gen Mai Cha, is actually a Japanese tea, a Sencha with needle-like leaves that are rolled, flattened and steamed, then blended with toasted rice. Sencha is typically a clean, lively tea, and when blended with toasted rice takes on a nutty flavor that cleanses the palate and is traditionally served at mealtime. I’ll drink it anytime – and feel I’m taking a step in the right direction by keeping the agave on the shelf.

Tea and a much-needed moment of peace

2010-11-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

Jen Markus
PR Consultant, Numi Organic Tea

I was inspired by the recent Tea Mavericks panel discussion held at Samovar Tea Lounge in Yerba Buena Gardens this past September, with an admirable collection of tea pioneers that includes Numi’s CEO, Ahmed Rahim. He’s in good company, flanked by a host of CEOs from premiere tea companies Rishi, Samovar and Silk Road Teas, as well as longtime tea writer James Norwood Pratt. These gentlemen have made careers for themselves traveling to the ends of the earth to search for the finest quality teas and bring them to the US so that everyday Americans can enjoy these fine, exotic tea varieties. What a fun job.

Each of the experts responded to one question that really stuck with me: what does American tea culture represent, and where is American tea culture going? Although tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world next to water, Americans have historically trailed behind nearly every other world nation in terms of tea consumption. Tea has been a part of world cultures for thousands of years. But thanks in part to business pioneers such as this group of speakers, awareness and appeal for tea has grown significantly in the U.S. past decade.

James Norwood Pratt had a sage take on the question of tea culture, responding that there is a deeper cultural shift, that tea culture in America is a response to a society that demands more and more from us and delivers less and less. Because we all need a moment’s peace, more and more Americans are turning to the tea ritual. (I must add that I’m a particular fan of James Norwood Pratt, who with his ascot-wearing intellectualism and wink-of-the-eye wit adds a sparkling contrast that livens up the company of his younger, hipper counterparts. Check out this video from Chow.com of him as an “Obsessive” if you’re curious to hear more.

It is this moment of peace, meditation, inner reflection and transformation that has inspired not just Numi but more and more Americans toward greater tea consumption every day. The simple ritual of tea can deliver energy, centeredness and inner balance. Through a simple cup of tea, people are able to find this moment of peace in the middle of the most hectic day.

There are chemical explanations for the centered, focused energy people claim to feel after drinking a cup of tea. L-Theanine is an amino acid chain found only in tea, and according to Wikipedia it has psychoactive properties and has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress and improves cognition and mood in a synergistic manner with caffeine.

But on a simpler level, it is the actual ritual of tea that relaxes and energizes me no matter where I am. Whether I am taking the time to steep a pot of loose leaf Oolong at home, or dropping a tea bag into a cup of hot water right out of the coffee machine at work, something about the steam, the aroma and my own particular way in which I squeeze my teabag to extract as much flavor as possible – the simple ritual soothes me and puts me ito an alert, focused place so that I can work, create, produce, explore.

I personally love that the tea ritual is such a simple one that requires very little time and investment, and delivers a moment of tranquility no matter where I find myself. It’s inspiring to know that this is part of a larger movement in our society that actually will contribute to a positive outcome. I recommend you check out The Tea Mavericks talk. Be warned, it’s an hour-long discussion, but great to play while relaxing with a nice pot of your favorite tea.

Wearing the sustainable halo: a discussion of corn-based plastics

2010-11-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Jen Markus
PR Consultant, Numi Organic Tea

Biodegradable plastic is the newest trend in sustainable packaging. Touted as the most sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics, biodegradable plastics are finding their way into the product lines of our industry peers. Knowing that a plastic wrapper might actually break down in a compost heap makes you and I feel better about purchasing these products – that we’re doing our part to live an environmentally responsible lifestyle. But what is corn-based plastic, and how biodegradable is it, really?

Polylactic acid, or PLA, is a resin derived from plants. As of now, the most commonly used raw material for this product is corn. This has its apparent benefits: it’s plant-based, and purportedly will dissolve back into the earth, rather than leaving waste in a landfill for hundreds of years. But let’s think for a moment as foodies, as environmentalists, as advocates of organic food and sustainable business, about the greater implications of creating a new industry for corn.

Journalist Michael Pollan dedicates the entire first section of his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, to corn as the very essence of America’s industrialized food system. Corn as a commodity is so big and powerful that its industry perpetually needs to create new ways to market its product. This has resulted in diversifying corn from simply a raw material into derivatives and by-products that comprise most fast food ingredients, animal feed, even auto fuel and plastics. Pollan points out the immense quantities of fossil fuels used to produce corn: that nearly fifty gallons of fuel are required for every acre of corn produced, let alone that required to produce factory-born derivatives such as high fructose corn syrup.

Also of issue is that nearly all of the conventional corn grown and sold in the U.S. food and non-food supply is genetically modified. Although the PLA process can use a variety of raw materials, corn is the most readily available and affordable. Because a large amount of corn is required to meet product demands, genetically modified, or GMO, corn [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/monsantos-gmo-corn-linked_n_420365.html] is currently the most common raw material in PLAs.

NatureWorks is the world’s largest PLA production plant and, not coincidentally, a subsidiary of Cargill, the world’s largest corn merchant. The factory takes dextrose from corn and processes it into synthetic resin. This resin can then be formed into a slew of products, from packaging to cafeteria trays to flower wrap to clothing. Its proponents insist that it’s the future of plastics in a post-petroleum world. NatureWorks has figured out a way to remove traces of GMOs in the end product of PLAs, but as long as the raw material used is genetically modified, the product still fosters heavy use of GMOs. As a purveyor of organic teas and a supporter of organic agriculture, Numi does not support the use of GMOs at any step of the supply chain.

We love the idea of biodegradable plastic, but the reality of disposing of these plastics in our current waste systems means that these products often end up in landfills and require just as much time to decompose as any other plastic material – anywhere from a hundred to a thousand years. PLA plastics require a very specific environment in which to biodegrade: a high level of heat unattainable in most in-home composting systems; a minimum amount of oxygen and sunlight unavailable in most industrial landfills; and equipment not yet found most municipal composting systems. In fact, many composting and recycling facilities cannot process PLAs and see the material as a burden that costs them money to sort out and in some instances creates problems within their own machines. This, in our minds, is not biodegradable or sustainable.

Though we strongly advocate the work being done toward developing more sustainable means of packaging food and other products, we feel that more research and development is needed to find a product that stands up to the standards of high-quality food production but can also truly biodegrade. Numi seeks to make true advancements toward being 100% sustainable at every step of our supply chain, not ways to wear a sustainable halo. We are actively researching a material that would be derived from another plant, or plant-based material that is GMO free at origin, and which would easily compost in a home composting system. As urgently as we all want to free ourselves from petroleum-based products and lessen our impact on the environment, we also realize that there are no shortcuts when it comes to making a commitment to sustainable business practices.

[The latest news, at time of posting: A study from the University of Pittsburgh that shows production of plant-based plastics to be less environmentally friendly than petroleum-based plastic. http://www.dailytech.com/PlantBased+Plastics+Production+Stages+Less+EcoFriendly+Than+PetroleumBased/article19959.htm - The disparate views in the comments that follow this article belies a controversy that’s a long way from being solved.]

Want to know more? Check out the following documentaries:
King Corn: http://www.kingcorn.net/The Future of Food: http://www.thefutureoffood.com/

How to say Puerh...

2010-09-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

Puerh is an ancient fermented tea known for its healthy properties and rich taste. It's fermentation process results in 32% more antioxidants than green tea. Puerh is purported to aid weight management, digestion and rejuvenating energy! Sounds great, right? It is!

The only problem is, no one knows how to say it... we hear everything from Poo-Ray to Perf! Have some fun with your friends and family by making a video tape of them trying to pronounce Puerh. You can do this by writing Puerh on a sheet of paper... showing them a box of Puerh tea' however you can get it done. Send the clip to 2weeks@numitea.com with your name and address or opst to our Facebook page, for a chance to win a years supply of Numi's Organic Puerh Tea.

Thanks for helping us spread the word of Puerh, and your friendship. Enjoy!

Fair Trade Friday!

2010-08-20T17:16:00.001-07:00

Our partners and Fair Trade certifiers at Transfair came to the Numi Tea Garden yesterday to meet with Numi co-founder Reem Rahim and our tea'm. We enjoyed some of our favorite Fair Trade Blends and discussed some of the positive developments that sourcing from Fair Trade gardens has local communities.

Please visit their blog for a wonderful feature on Numi.

Then go to their facebook page for a chance to win a free box of one of our Fair Trade blends. You have until Sunday to enter.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Your friends at Numi Organic Tea.

Earth Day from the Alchemist...

2010-04-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

Mother Earth is our greatest asset and keeps us together on so many levels. In return, our job is to take care of her and be responsible for all of our decisions in packaging, agriculture processes, and the ways in which we participate and give back. At Numi we are very thoughtful with every decision we make from Organic standards, sustainable practices and packaging that is recyclable, com-postable and made from natural materials. Our latest sustainable packaging focuses on our tea bag overwrap. Our tea bag wraps are now made with 22% fewer materials and continues to keep our quality teas and herbs fresh by maintaining a 3 year shelf life. This keeps our high quality teas and herbs tasting like it was just picked yesterday. As we continue to grow, our commitment to sustainability is paramount! Thank you for doing your part to recycle, reduce, reuse, and compost!

~Ahmed, CEO & Co-Founder

Earth Month off to a great start

2010-04-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than celebrating Earth Month with an award win! We just found out that we have been selected to receive Acterra's 2010 Business Environmental Award in the category of small company, for our commitment to operating a sustainable business through ethical sourcing, ecological packaging and care values focused on protecting the health of people and the planet.

Christine Kohl-Zaugg, judging team captain said, "Some of Numi's most notable achievements include seeking mission-driven financing, becoming a founding B Corporation, reducing its environmental footprint in all facets of its business, offsetting all of its emissions, and working extensively with its suppliers to improve working conditions."

Acterra's Business Environemtal Awards is one of the SF Bay Area's oldest and most prestigious environmental recognition programs. Initiated in 1990, it is considered a heavyweight among award programs due to its rigorous application and judging process.

We are thrilled to have won and are honored to be amongst the likes of past and present award winners doing amazing work.

Season of Giving

2009-12-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

Numi is a proud to be a Certified B Corporation. We are one of 220 like-minded companies that use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

This holiday season, we invite you to support our fellow B Corps for The Season of Giving.

20 other B Corp members are collectively offering great products at great discounts. Click here to see the list of companies and their special offers.

EPA Orders Chemical Testing for Hormone Effects

2009-10-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, we posted a study published by the UK’s Food Standards Industry (FSA), which concluded that organic foods have no more nutrients than conventional foods. What the study didn’t include was the potential health risks of pesticides and herbicides used in conventional foods.
Luckily, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Thursday that they have issued the first test orders for pesticide chemicals to be screened for their potential effects on the endocrine system. “After years of delay, EPA is aggressively moving forward by ordering the testing of a number of pesticide chemicals for hormone effects,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances.
See the entire article here: EPA Orders Chemical Testing for Hormone Effects

Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency

Organic Industry Shaken and Stirred by New UK Nutrition Study

2009-08-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

It’s like a marteani, only with a horribly bitter after taste. The organic food industry has been abuzz in recent weeks about a recent study published by the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Industry (FSA), which concludes that organic foods have no more nutrients than conventional foods. But the study did not factor in the potential health risks of pesticides and herbicides used in conventional foods.

The Organic Center, nonprofit think tank to the U.S. organic industry, quickly published a statement asserting that the authors of the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency (FSA) study used old data and flawed logic in reaching the conclusion that organic food is no healthier than conventional. The Center alleges that the UK study actually downplayed the positive findings which favored organic food and did not measure important nutrients such as antioxidants.

The Organic Trade Association has appointed nutrition and food safety expert Marion Nestle as spokesperson on the issue, who commented to say that “…there are many reasons to think that organic foods have greater benefits for the environment, for pesticide reduction, and for taste, all of which affect human health at least as much - or more - than minor differences in nutritional content.” [Source: SustainableFoodNews.com]

Stonyfield Farm’s CEO Gary Hirschberg also weighed in, posting an article on the Huffington Post that argues the study misleads the public by ignoring documented health and environmental benefits of organic food: “I believe studies like the FSA report need to look beyond the dinner plate and recognize that organic farming's avoidance of chemicals offers health benefits beyond nutrition.,” Hirschberg said.

Numi shares the viewpoint of its fellow industry advocates, that it’s crucial to look holistically at the importance of organic foods. Supporting agricultural systems that are free of pesticides and chemicals is beneficial not only for the health of consumers, but also for the health of farm workers and for the environment. Numi also urges that organic tea is important to consider, as it is free of chemicals and pesticides, which in conventional teas steep directly into the cup. Why not maximize your antioxidant intake and minimize your chemical intake by going organic?

Sustainable Packaging Goes Mainstream

2009-07-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here’s an interesting trade article, which really speaks to a sign of the times: Sara Lee has just announced a newfound commitment toward sustainable packaging. At Numi we have prioritized sustainable packaging since day one: our tea boxes are made with 85% post-consumer waste, annually conserving more than 5,202 trees and reducing landfill by 334,560 pounds. We do not cello-wrap our boxes, our tea bags are 100% biodegradable, and we choose to use bamboo for all of our gift packaging, a leading renewable resource.

These are steps our team has taken great lengths to research, test and make possible across our entire product line. There have been times when we’ve been advised to cut corners and costs, but we’ve never deviated from this commitment and we continue to research even better ways to conserve resources. We know when brands like Sun Chips and Sara Lee are announcing their commitment to sustainable packaging, that the world is slowly catching on:
http://www.packworld.com/article-27780

Beautiful picture in Algeria

2009-05-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

Numi in one Saharaui woman’s home in the Daijla refugee camp in southern Algeria!

Congratulations Dan Barber!

2009-05-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Dan Barber was named the nation's top chef Monday by the James Beard Foundation.
Barber is known for using his New York restaurants — Blue Hill New York and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills — to highlight the difference seasonal and sustainable agriculture can make on the plate.

Stone Barns, is set on a working farm and has a menu consisting of a simple list of fresh ingredients. He calls his cooking 'American seasonal' and see it as an effort to raise awareness about everyday food choices.

This is truly a sign of the times, that a chef so renowned for his farm-to-table ethis and sustainable approach to his work has received the equivalent of the culinary Oscars. It’s a great indication that sustainability is here to stay!

Making a Profit and a Difference

2009-05-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

We love to see coverage of sustainable businesses in prominent outlets such as Business Week. Kudos to NY-based Greyston Bakery for its video footage above this story! Great piece that spreads the world that business done right really can help change the world for the better!

HAPPY EARTH MONTH!

2009-04-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Celebrate Earth Day – Drink Organic Tea
Any recent news story citing the plight of dwindling water resources, the increase of drought worldwide and overall news of climate change serves as a reminder that water is a precious resource. However, while most of us are aware of the considerable environmental impact of producing most finished goods in terms of energy and fuel, we may not consider that most of these products also require large volumes of water from growing to processing to packaging the product.
Tea requires 9 times less water than Coffee
A recent article in The Economist outlined water consumption for certain goods, showing that it takes nearly 300 gallons of water to produce one gallon of brewed coffee. By contrast, it takes 32 gallons of water to produce one gallon of tea. So, it takes more than nine times the water to produce one gallon of coffee than it does to produce tea, and nearly three times as much water to produce one kg of roasted coffee than it does dried tea leaves.

Sustainable Packaging saves 1.5 million gallons of water per year
Numi Organic Tea goes even one step further to reduce water use by using 100% recycled material made of a minimum of 85% post-consumer waste for its packaging. By avoiding the use of virgin fiber for its cartons, Numi conserves more than 1.5 million gallons of water each year. All of Numi’s packaging materials are biodegradable and/or recyclable and cello-wrap free.

Organic Tea additionally benefits the planet
Numi also emphasizes that it is equally important to choose organic tea, which further reduces environmental impact by being free of harmful chemicals and pesticides, which negatively affect the health of farmers and farm workers, the soil and ground water used to produce the goods, and the tea itself. The World Health Organization estimates that at least three million people are poisoned by pesticides each year, and more than 200,000 die from pesticide exposure. Persistent herbicides and pesticides can extend beyond target weeds and insects and will gradually be introduced into aquatic environments, literally killing the biodiversity in lakes, reivers and other bodies of water. Furthermore, as tea is an unwashed product, conventional tea contains pesticides that steep right into your cup. Drinking organic tea ensures that you’ll have a clean product from seed to cup.

Save Mother Earth one cup of organic tea at a time
When you drink a cup of Numi Organic Tea, you can feel good knowing that you are consuming a healthful beverage that is produced with minimal impact to the planet. In addition, you are supporting a small, independent, socially responsible business committed to the health and viability of its employees, farmers, workers and the planet.

For more information, see www.numitea.com

Numi Tea Co Founder and CEO on BNets Entreprenuer Insights

2009-04-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy this great interview of Ahmed for a peak into the mind of our co-founder, the vision of and story around Numi Organic Tea, and what goes on inside our offices.

2008-08-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

BART Rider Thank You Day ReturnsCelebrate your Commitment to a Sustainable Commute with free Fair Trade Certified Coffee and Tea from Tully’sTuesday, September 23rd 6-9am

Participating Stations:Civic Center, Powell, Montgomery, Embarcadero, Oakland 12th St. and Downtown Berkeley

Ride BART on Tuesday, September 23rd and get a free coupon for a Fair Trade Certified coffee or tea from Tully’s Coffee and half off your next purchase of a one pound bag of Fair Trade Certified beans. This is the third of four “Rider Thank You Day” events and the deal just keeps getting sweeter – not just for you, but for the world’s farmers.Tully’s Coffee now proudly offers Fair Trade Certified Numi Tea in addition to its 100% Fair Trade Certified espresso drinks, all served in a convenient, earth-friendly compostable cup. When you choose BART, Tully’s Coffee and Fair Trade you are choosing a better life for farmers, a cleaner environment and a more sustainable commute. Thanks for your commitment!

LEAFYGREEN

2008-07-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever checked out leafygreen.info? It is a pretty cool site. Green Product Reviews for a Green World, is there slogan. They did a review on Numi, check it out: http://www.leafygreen.info/beverage-reviews/numi-organic-tea-reviews/

If you've never tried Numi, this review may give you some insight into what teas you would like to try first! And if you have tried Numi, what do you think of the review? Do you agree with our buddy Scott?

Numi Transformations...

2008-06-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the pictures above, a few Numi employees were recently in China. Brian, our Director of Operations (3rd picture from the top), is the featured employee of the month. Read below what he thought about his recent journey and his Numi transformation...

The best part about my travels to China is being able to spend the time necessary to really strengthen our partnerships with our suppliers, and continuing to learn about how we can better assist our suppliers with sustainable growth and positive social impacts.

Further, there are always unplanned, spontaneous circumstances in China that lead us to new innovative ideas, new partnerships, and a better understanding of the history and culture of Chinese tea. Those moments are often the most enjoyable experiences of my role here at Numi.

On our recent trip, we were able to finalize the organic certification of our flowering teas, further develop our quality programs among all of our partners, and introduce the new “Fair Labor Practices” Certification Program with partners both new and old. The “Fair Labor Practices” Certification and Numi’s recommendations for improvement were well received and the partners in our supply chain are currently taking the next steps to further improve the lives of the workers and their families. We look forward to launching this new certification in China in the next year, and our friends in China are very much on board.

Brian