We carry directly sourced true teas—black, green, white, oolong, puerh, and even yellow tea. This means we purchase directly from the tea farms, most of which are relatively small. We like this approach because it gets the tea leaf to our customers faster and fresher. In addition, direct sourcing fosters trust and support with the communities where the tea grows. We know that our tea is organically grown and of premium quality.

Higher quality tea confers greater health benefits. These can include weight loss (by replacing high calorie drinks with tea) and heart health. In addition, drinking tea daily may provide the human body with vitality and greater longevity. Green tea contains especially high levels of antioxidants, and can help promote healthy bone density.

A reimagined tea trade

In a directly sourced tea trade, everyone works to provide quality—from the seedling to your cup. This ensures ongoing business and mutual support for everyone involved. Along with consistently providing premium tea, farms need to sell at fair market prices. LMTC buys tea at that price (not haggling for lower prices). In turn, we give you the best price we can, while still paying employees fair wages. On this socioeconomic level, direct sourcing tea is also sustainable.

Small tea farms prioritize the health of their community and the environment. If both the community and environment suffer, then the quality of the tea will also suffer. We took these tea plant photos at Bitaco Tea in Cali, Colombia, where organically grown tea thrives along with the community. Like many small tea farms, Bitaco supports the schools, and also provides art enrichment programs for the youth in the area. Plus, the farm sits atop a watershed, and they know clean water is good for everyone—including your tea kettle! Finally, biodiversity initiatives implementing environmental health ensure organic tea standards and greater ecological health.

Our tea comes with the added benefits in the physical, mental, and global realms. The tea is good for you, and you can trust that it comes from well-intentioned sources. Health, vitality, and joy—tea truly is a well-rounded beverage!

Written by Boo Curry and Uriah Kreilick