NUMI-What's Steeping? ISSUE 2, FALL 2012
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What's Steeping? Hello Partners, Friends and Family,
It is our pleasure to share the latest Numi happenings in this second issue of What’s Steeping? Non-GMO Verification - Numi became the first company to verify our tea bags as Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project. The ORGANIC Tea Party - a Numified non-partisan celebration of People, Planet and Pure Tea!
Our journey to Egypt to visit our Chamomile supplier who recently became Fair Trade certified! A visit to our Nation’s Capital We were honored to be invited as guests to the White House Forum on "Business Innovation." We expect the falling leaves of the upcoming season to bring continued vigor and momentum to our shared partnership. Thanks for your support, as always. Sincerely,
CONTENTS
The summer of 2012 has been an exciting one for Numi Organic Tea! Thanks to the growing demand for pu•erh tea and our steadfast commitment to quadruple bottom line innovation, we’re delighted to report record growth as an organization.
1 TEA BUZZ 3 PRODUCT NEWS 5 TRAVELS FOR TEA TRADE SHOWS AND
7 EVENTS UPDATE 9 COMMUNITEA
Co-Founders Ahmed and Reem Rahim
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR COMMITMENT TO PEOPLE. PLANET AND PURE TEA, VISIT US AT NUMITEA.COM.
TEA BUZZ
NUMI TEA SETS A PRECEDENT Following our history of innovation, we proudly announced that we are the first company authorized to label our tea bags as non-GMO, verified by the Non-GMO Project. In total, 30 varieties of our organic tea and teasan blends will now proudly carry the prized Non-GMO mark on their packaging. See our press release for full details.
TEA MAGAZINE This industry publication mentions our recent Non-GMO verification, and status as the first and only company permitted to label its tea bags as “non-GMO.”
NEW YORK PRESS TOUR Celebrating the launch of our newest gift, the Artisan’s Tea Blending Kit, Numi Co-Founder, CEO and Alchemist Ahmed Rahim presented the Numi Tea blending experience to editors from various publications including InStyle, Women’s World and Weight Watchers Magazines. The press enjoyed an afternoon blending their own unique organic tea creations!
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Pictured: Joanna Bober, editor at InStyle Magazine and Ahmed Rahim, co-founder and chief alchemist of Numi Organic Tea.
NUMI-What's Steeping? ISSUE 2, FALL 2012
NATURALHOMEANDGARDEN.COM What companies can consumers trust these days? Numi - according to this popular healthy lifestyle magazine and website; We’re featured as one of 14 sustainable companies to trust!
MARKETWATCH.COM Marketwatch.com mentions our recent Non-GMO verification, and status as the first and only company permitted to label its tea bags as “non-GMO.”
WASHINGTONPOST.COM Numi’s fair trade tea is attracting the attention of the gluten-free community. As part of the East Coast Fancy Food Show coverage, Washington Post writer Carol Blymire mentioned our Moroccan Mint as well-suited for the estimated 1 in 133 people who avoid gluten (and many teas that include barley as an ingredient or in processing) due to Celiac disease.
TODAY SHOW According to Today Show hosts Kathy Lee and Hoda, everyone loves tea - especially teachers. Numi’s Flowering Tea and Tea Portfolio were featured as great gifts for teachers under $20 on a June 13 segment. Click here to view the video.
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PRODUCT NEWS
PU•ERH MINI SAMPLER The Pu•erh Mini Sampler features each of our 6 organic artisanal pu•erh tea blends. A perfect way to sample all of our delicious pu•erh teas.
INDULGENT PU•ERH TEA COLLECTION A premium sampling of Numi’s artisanal and delicious organic pu•erh teas, including Emperor’s Pu•erh, Chocolate Pu•erh, Cardamom Pu•erh, Ginger Pu•erh, Jasmine Pu•erh and Basil Mint Pu•erh. This collection is a unique gift for the discerning and adventuresome tea drinker and comes in a sustainable bamboo box.
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NUMI-What's Steeping? ISSUE 2, FALL 2012
PU•ERH TO THE PEOPLE: Taste it. Feel it. Share it. We’re spreading the secret of pu•erh, the ancient healing tea, by inviting tea enthusiasts to tell us how they enjoy this mysteriously wonderful tea. Featured Facebook testimonials will receive two FREE Pu•erh Mini Samplers – one for them and one to share with a friend. Help us bring Pu•erh to the People on Facebook and check out our videos on YouTube.
VIDEOS The Numi tea'm really can't stop talking about how much we love organic pu•erh. The process of bringing an unfamiliar tea to market can be a very difficult process, requiring a passionate team and "serious" approach ; )
What are consumers saying?
Here's a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Numi's very own Director of Mysterious Teas returning from China with the secrets of pu•erh tea and a mission to share it with the world.
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TRAVELS FOR TEA
Since our founding in 1999, our quest to offer the highest quality, ethically-sourced tea and teasans have taken us to incredible places where we have met amazing people and forged lifelong partnerships. Each issue of What’s Steeping features a part of one Numi tea’m members travel journal. Guest Author: Brian Durkee, VP of Operations (A Numi tea’m member since 2003)
e omil ham t c e th yp ing , Eg sort Falyum n a , i Br owers fl
Our dedication to offer only the purest organic tea occasionally calls us to get our hands dirty. This trip brought me to test product quality directly at the source with a chamomile supplier for our new fair trade initiative. Pictured: Brian Durkee, VP of Operations
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t lyum, Egyp owers in Fa fl in d el fi Chamomile
The primary chamomile harvest season is January through May. From January through August, the farmers use the land for other items, and from September through December they begin seeding the land for the next year’s chamomile harvest. Pictured: Chamomile flowers
NUMI-What's Steeping? ISSUE 2, FALL 2012
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Cha Fair Trade worker in chamomile field, Falyum, Eg ypt
From January through May, the chamomile flowers are collected by hand every twenty days by workers in this Egyptian village. The workers have used Fair Trade funds to build clean drinking water pipes, to develop a health clinic and for literacy training. Pictured: The Sakaran Fair Trade Farmer Group
After the chamomile flowers are picked, they are dried for two weeks before final processing. Then the flowers are sifted, sterilized and sized to the required specification. The final product is tested three times for pesticides and microbes prior to being exported to the USA. Pictured: Factory Team Members
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Pictured: Filming of Organic Tea Party Video
EVENTS
EXPO EAST OTP STREET TEAM
THE ORGANIC TEA PARTY
The Organic Tea Party is a non-partisan celebration of people, planet and pure tea. Our aim is a healthy and happy planet where our food chain and tea farmers are free from pesticides, chemically-enhanced fertilizers and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Take a stand one sip at a time and keep pesticides out of your cup and out of the soil! Declare Your inTEApendence and Vote ORGANIC! Visit voteORGANICteaparty.com and show your support of organic tea!
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IT'S TEA SEASON! As the weather begins to cool, the Numi tea’m has been busy revving up some new campaigns!
Pictured: Eat Real Festival Protest, Oakland, CA
VOTE for your favorite Numi SKU” at voteorganicteaparty.com/vote
TEA GARDEN SIGN The Numi Tea Garden in Oakland, CA became the headquarters for this election season.
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COMMUNI'TEA
WHITE HOUSE VISIT Co-Founders, Ahmed & Reem Rahim were invited to the White House Social Enterprise and Opportunity Series: White House Forum on Business Innovation. Approximately 150 people were present ranging from business leaders to investors to non-profit organizations. President Obama's Deputies of Domestic Affairs and Small Business Administration welcomed all and encouraged a day of feedback on our types of business models as the administration sees us as the future of doing business.
Pure Tea Pic of the Month! This issue’s Facebook Pure Tea Pic comes from Billie Bryant, who named her new kitten “Numi!” P.S. Numi’s favorite tea is Rooibos.
Send your Pure Tea Pics to pr@numitea.com and if yours is posted we'll send you a free box of tea!
We heard from the CEO of Timberland and Ben and Jerry's amongst others and had a lively interactive day of positive feedback on what the administration could do to further sustainable business models.
NUMI-What's Steeping? ISSUE 2, FALL 2012
NUMI COMMUNITEA Numi’s National Tea Trainer, Joe McKinnon (pictured right) recently hosted a tea-inspired discussion, cupping and new product sampling with the Whole Foods Market Oakland Wellness Club.
Picture by Whole Foods Staff
IN GOOD COMPANY Numi tea’m member Keith Wilson took part in a week-long service immersion organized by Clif Bar in West Oakland, California, where they built a greenhouse for a local high school’s Farm to School program. They spent the week dedicated to people and planet by hammering doors and growing organic food with the likes of employees from Eileen Fischer and Veritable Vegetable. Learn more at http://www.facebook.com/ InGoodCompanyProjects
Pictured: In Good Company
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