2015 started off with a commemorative Mate harvest where we brought together the Family Dryer, Tolatti and Gehm and prepared a small quantity of mate and putting into practice some of the ‘Good Mate Harvesting Techniques’ that were taught at the course we attended at the beginning of December. It was a special experience to have so many expert artesenal Mate harvesters together to collect the leaves (during the first full moon of the year) from the forests that are part of the reforestation project that will be carried out by the Mate e.V.
There is a high probability that out of this first time ever meeting of artesanal mate makers will come the quality of mate we might be offering in the fusion….
The real reason for coming together, however, was for the formation of the Brasilian Chapter of the Mate Association made up of artesenal Mate producers and patrons to support sustainable, decentralized mate production.
The first 4 projects of the association are:
1) The legalization of the Family Gehm’s Barbacua mate production
2) The legalization of the artesanal erva mate production of the Family Drey and Tolatti including producing water-powered eletricity
3) Bio Gas generated eletrical production and erva mate drying by the Family Peixoto.
4) The fostering of an educational space in Sede Nova for mate hacking.
Here below is a Portuguese Article written in a Brasilian Journal about Mate speaking of the founding of the Mate Association and its aims to valorize artesenal Mate production.