Our mission from the beginning was to share palo azul with the world so that everyone can enjoy this magical tea. We knew that a regenerative agriculture approach would be necessary in order to promote this plant's propagation in a way that is sustainable for the ecosystem and the farmers. That's why we partnered with a supplier that is USDA Organic & Wildlife Friendly Certified, and they're enrolled in Mexico's Natural Protected Areas Program (CONANP), so we're committed to the conservation of all species in the region.
All the pictures on this page come from Cañada de la Virgen in San Miguel de Allende, which is the 12,000 acre natural reserve in Mexico where we source organic & sustainable palo azul. We harvest the palo azul by pruning branches, which encourages the tree to grow even bigger and it adds more life to the land, so everyone can enjoy nature’s magic!
We're proud to be the first and only Wildlife Friendly Certified palo azul company and we're honored to be a part of their sustainability mission. This statement comes from the Wildlife Friendly organization: “We invite you to envision a world where people and wildlife not only coexist but thrive. In this world, nourishing foods and handcrafted products are part of an elegant solution rooted in collaboration, sustainability and with respect for farmers and artisans, the land, and wildlife. Everyone wins. This is the World of Certified Wildlife Friendly.”
The owner of our palo azul natural reserve, stated the following in an interview with the Wildlife Friendly Organization: "Our land management practices prioritize organic farming, regenerative grazing, and respect for nature, ensuring that local wildlife and communities thrive as a result of our deep respect for the interconnectedness of all life. This certification not only validates our conservation initiatives but also encourages us to continue our work with renewed vigor."
The Wildlife Friendly mission is to protect wildlife in wild places and on agricultural lands, by certifying enterprises that assure people and nature coexist and thrive. We offer opportunities for people in often rural and disadvantaged communities and we enable conservation of intact landscapes critical to the provision of ecosystem services.
We source our palo azul from a natural reserve that's enrolled in the CONANP program, so we're committed to the conservation and restoration of all the species in the region. The CONANP mission is to conserve Mexico's natural heritage through protected areas and other conservation modalities, fostering a culture of conservation and sustainable development.
Strategic objectives:
- Conserve the country's most representative ecosystems and biodiversity
- Promote and manage projects in Protected Areas related to protection, management, and restoration for conservation.
- Support the improvement of the quality of life of local inhabitants and mitigate negative impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity.
The entire natural reserve has been USDA Organic Certified since 2009, so our palo azul trees grow and blossom naturally, and there are no pesticides, herbicides, GMOs, irrigation, or synthetic fertilizers. Being certified organic means that our supplier complies with or exceed the following requirements:
Regenerative Practices
- The ranch is managed completely free of herbicides, pesticides, artificial fertilizers, or any other synthetic additives.
- Absolute prohibition of the use of genetically modified organisms.
- Raising livestock in free-range and open-air systems and nourishing them with organic feed
- Broad crop rotation as a prerequisite for effective on-site resource use.
- Choosing plant and animal species that are resistant to diseases and adapted to local conditions.
Our palo azul trees have been growing symbiotically & naturally from seeds for decades, so the roots go deep into the earth and that’s where all the nutrients and trace minerals come from. What you’re getting isn’t just any wood, this is ancient nutrition that is the culmination of centuries of evolution from Mother Earth.
Deeper roots extract more nutrients and organic practices allow the trees to overcome stress, which helps them become more resilient and nutritious. This is due to the principle of xenohormesis, where humans can benefit from the stress-induced nutrients produced by plants and essentially piggyback off of their sophisticated defense mechanisms that they evolved through millennia.
In non-organic farming, most trees are not grown from seeds and instead, many are propagated using branches (cuttings). This causes the roots to grow sidewards and the plants have to compete for topsoil, so conventional farming requires pesticides to kill the competition. This depletes the topsoil and it leaves the plants on chemical life support because they’re dependent on synthetic fertilizers to survive.
Non-organic farming leads to weakened plants with no defense mechanisms against insects, pests, fungi, mold, and it is well known that stressed plants are more nutrient dense because of the principle of xenohormesis. This is why non-organic farming requires pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides to kill everything so that the weakened plants can survive.
Our palo azul trees require zero human intervention until harvest. The trees grow symbiotically with all its surroundings and when organisms die, they decompose and enrich the earth so that new life can blossom. Just the way nature intended.
Most tea bags are made from plastic, paper, or nylon…which is unfortunate because none of these materials are biodegradable and can therefore pollute the environment and contaminate the soil in which our food grows. This is why our pyramid tea bags are made from a 100% biodegradable bio-mesh, which is a type of mesh made from PLA (Polylactic acid) that is derived from corn. You can learn more about the benefits of biodegradable tea bags in this article:
Post-Consumer Recycled Pouches
Instead of using recyclable material, all our packaging is made from PCR materials, which means that our pouches have already made their impact by being made from a repurposed material. After certain plastic materials are recycled by consumers, they are diverted from landfills and they’re converted into usable PCR films which can be made into pouches.
Digitally Printed
Our pouches are digitally printed, which is more sustainable, uses less energy, creates less waste, and produces a smaller carbon footprint than conventional printing.
We all have the power to make a positive impact in the ecosystem and the lives of farmers who nurture our food by choosing to strive for sustainability. Each one of us is responsible for setting the higher standards that we aspire to see reflected everywhere. No matter how small the action, you can have an impact and together we can all make the world a more magical place!
#BeMagik