Asheville Tea Company, based in Asheville, N.C., is celebrating Earth Day 2021 with the release of Tea Hugger, a small batch tea blend with “epic worldly flavor,” according to the company.
A portion of all of Asheville Tea Company’s proceeds will be donated to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) to help protect forests, wild plants and regional farmland, including proceeds from this special Earth Day blend.
“It is vital to us both to support our community and to do what we can to reduce our impact on the environment in the way we source and produce our products, said Jessie Dean, Asheville Tea Company founder. “SAHC is such an incredible organization, and we are very proud to play even a small part in what they are accomplishing.”
That is why, Dean said, they have partnered with SAHC to donate tea and also a portion of proceeds, as a starting point for how they can play at least a small part in conservation efforts for wilderness, wild plants and farmland.
“Right now, we are focusing on learning where we can have the most pronounced impact as a business, and it is definitely a process that we are engaging with fully,” Dean said. “The thing that keeps me up at night personally is how much of an impact we as humans have had on our natural environment, and how much we need to be a part of the solution to that.”
Since founding Asheville Tea Company in 2016, Dean said the focus has been to work with local and regional farmers and sourcing as many herbal ingredients as possible.
Tea Hugger – described as a “fortifying and herbaceous spring tonic” – is made with 100 percent locally-grown ingredients by Western and Piedmont N.C. farmers, who use sustainable and regenerative practices. Farms include Skye 2 Farm (Beech Mountain, N.C.), Our Friendly Allies (Marshall, N.C.), Rayburn Farms (Barnardsville, N.C.) Pangaea Plants (Lake Lure, N.C.) and Maple Spring Gardens (Cedar Grove, N.C.).
“We want to bring a taste of the mountains right to your cup – so we create blends that focus on ingredients grown around our region,” Dean said. “This allows us to develop a sustainable supply chain while also bringing real flavor to every cup. No additives, flavorings or preservatives in our teas. Just real ingredients that steep real flavor.”
Tea Hugger highlights the North Carolina region's landscape with a blend of Nettles, Milky Oats, Red Raspberry Leaf, Ginger Grass, Roses, Blue Cornflower, Chocolate Mint and Wild Bee Balm.
Find more information on Asheville Tea Company’s partnership with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, or to learn more about the company and its products, visit AshevilleTeaCompany.com.