News

Yaupon Brothers has helped people see that great products can be made from indigenous plants and ingredients, which can reduce the negative impacts of food production. Consumers aren’t required to stop enjoying what they buy, and businesses shouldn’t assume that creating economic opportunities and supporting conservation are mutually exclusive. We can have our tea and drink it, too.

Oceans of Hope Foundation offers adaptive ocean access for individuals with limited mobility the opportunity to catch a wave and surf without limitations.  Recently, they have partnered with Florida-based tea company, Yaupon Brothers to create a unique tea blend, "Abili-TEA".  This blend features Yaupon holly, pineapple, orange slices, mango, safflower, strawberry, hibiscus, marigold, cane sugar and natural flavors for a taste "like a day at the beach".  Half of all proceeds go directly to Oceans of Hope Foundation.

Molly Roe is the account manager at SweetGrass Trading Company, a subsidiary of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. Roe is an enrolled member of the Ioway Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. She received her Master’s degree in media communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before joining SweetGrass. In addition to account management, she writes blog posts for the website, represents the company at conferences and acts as an advocate for food sovereignty across Indian country.

The term "organic" is now almost ubiquitous in the grocery store, and the little green USDA organic stamp can be observed on pretty much every kind of product. We have organic toothpaste and moisturizers, drinks and snacks, fruits and vegetables, and even household cleaners and pet foods. But what makes a product "organic?"