Runa Nation

The Amazon Invades Vegas at the World Tea Expo

    The weekend was a smashing success. Team Runa donned their Runa tees and erected a bamboo hut for the show, outfitted with palm leaves and amazonian decor. Kelsey, Sean, Caroline, Tyler and Lucy shared tea with exhibitors and visitors for three days straight -- sharing over 900 samples of guayusa.  

    There was widespread interest in guayusa. We had visitors coming back to us three days in a row for samples to use as their NEW morning pick-me-up! We connected with bloggers, cafes around the country (and globe), tea distributors and other tea companies. We mingled and shared -- classic Runa style. Team Runa is looking forward to the 2012 World Tea Expo.

 

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At Runa, We Don't Actually Farm Guayusa

     In conversations, we occasionally hear some one introduce Runa by saying "and they employ 600 people on their farm in Ecuador." Pero No! We do not own any farmland and we do not employ farmers. Runa's model and social mission is to purchase guayusa at Fair Trade prices directly from independent family farms. We provide direct market access and technical assistance to farmers to sustainably plant, manage, and harvest guayusa. We empower farmers and provide new opportunities for their traditional products. In this way, we foster the local entrepreneurial spirit, build sustainable and transparent partnerships with the farmers, and proactively work together to break a long history of paternalism and exploitation that has negatively impacted these communities.

    We do, however, own and operate our own guayusa processing facility, where we receive fresh guayusa leaves, dry them, mill them, love them and pack them in 50 lb sacks for export. Our facility employs a total of 5 people, and we also employ an additional 20 people as managers, field technicians, researchers, and administrators, paying high wages and bonuses, providing health insurance, and offering educational opportunities. 

That's what we do! 

We pride ourselves on producing one of the world's only Small Farmer Teas (while yes, guayusa is not tea but actually a tisane ;) 

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Photos of guayusa farmers. 

 

 

Fundación Runa accepts $100,000 CAF Grant

Last week Fundación Runa received a $100,000 grant from CAF (The Andean Development Bank). This grant is a part of a new agreement between Fundación Runa, CAF, and local governments to strengthen guayusa production in the Napo Province through capacity building and strategic partnerships. 

 

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 Eliot Logan-Hines, Executive Director of Fundación Runa, and Hermann Krützfeldt, Director of CAF, signed the agreement last week in Quito, Ecuador. Eliot was accompanied by Silverio Mamallacta, Runa's Technical Coordinator, and Leo Cerda, VP of Fundación Runa in the signing event. 

Joe Walker Secures USAID Small Grant for Guayusa Nursery

 

    Congratulations to Fundacíon Runa's Peace Corps volunteer, Joe Walker, for securing a grant for the Santa Clara High School through USAID's Small Project Assistance program. Small Project Assistance (SPA) programs are part of an inter-agency venture between Peace Corps and USAID designed to initiate grass-roots, small scale development projects.  Ecuador's SPA program has a focus on biodiversity conservation. 

    The SPA investment - totaling the maximum contribution of $3,000 - will be combined with $3,002.99 in funds generated by the UEFIBCH and the local community for a total  investment of $6,002.99 into the future of Santa Clara's biodiversity.

    Specifically, the generated funds will be used to construct a nursery of guayusa and other hardwood trees.  The staff and students will conduct educational programs and experiments ranging from plant grafting to soil conservation procedures.  Furthermore, the plants germinated in the nursery will be used to create an agroforestry showcase on the schools farm to highlight innovative agricultural techniques and exchange ideas across the community.

    This exciting project combines the outstanding ideals of both the United States and Ecuador and is the culmination of real, meaningful exchange.  It embodies our mutual desire to enable communities like Santa Clara to grow their own autonomous economic futures through sustainable organic agriculture. 

            Joe Walker constructing a guayusa nursery. 

 

Update from the Amazon

  

May Highlights

Tom Lisicki and Nancy Wheaton from Stash Tea accompanied Tyler to the Napo Province. Tom, Nancy and the team visited nurseries, guayusa plantations, hiked deep into the jungle for a guayusa ceremony, jumped off bridges, and enjoyed  good meals. 

 

In May, our new factory was inaugurated! We invited Don Vicente, shaman and father of our Technical Coordinator, Silverio Mamallacta, to cleanse the space and bring good energy. The entire team took part in a guayusa ceremony at 5 am the following morning.

 

Prodel/USAID visited us toward the end of the month to offer their observations. They offered a number of valuable recommendations to improve our nurseries and Runa recognition among the communities.

  

In the Field: The Last Month in Numbers

• Our team visited 47 communities to discuss the opportunities Runa has to offer. 
  
• 180 farmers attended workshops covering the application of organic products and soil preparation.
• 12,156 new cuttings were transplanted to our guayusa nurseries.
• 92 farmers passed internal organic inspections.
• 42 new farmers were added to the project.
• With our new factory up and running we harvested 100 pounds of guayusa this month.  

 

Bienvenidos! 

In May, Runa welcomed two new Peace Corp volunteers, Lindsay McGeehon(lindsay@runa.org) and Helen Skiba (helen@runa.org). Lindsay and Helen have a shared enthusiasm and appreciation for the Kichwa culture and are excited to work alongside their communities to grow and harvest guayusa. They are both on board for the next 2 years, and we couldn't be happier to have them!

 

Common Ground in an Unlikely Place

People Go Tweeting Mad for Guayusa

    To be involved in a young company with one foot in the Amazon and the other in Brooklyn is an amazing challenge. In order to share the richness of guayusa with the rest of the world, we strive to make it easy and exciting for our customers to purchase and share with friends and family.  One strategy for this is to lessen the gap between an ancient brew that dates back to a people and a place you may only have dreamt about, and an actual product in the local grocery store. As Runa’s social media manager living in Ecuador, I often find myself asking “Where to begin?” “What is the relevancy?” “Are people listening???” Then today on Twitter (of all places), I found the answer.

    Our @RunaNation followers are incorporating guayusa into their lives seamlessly and with great vigor. Just like the Kichwa people drink guayusa for energy, focus and health so do people north of the equator.

For energy: @skeldredge tweeted “Enjoying a mug of RunaNation mint guayusa on the first morning of summer camp staff training. It's a beautiful day in the NC mountains!” 

For health: @Montero tweeted “Y'all will like this. I'm having kashi oatmeal & RunaNation tea for breakfast instead of bacon & eggs.”

For endurance: @plumbbob tweeted “Moving Day! Guayusa in the system. O_O LetsGo!”

For inspiration: @elephantTINY tweeted “Long night ahead w/ loudscape remaking my triptrotting video. No espresso for us. We're a guayusa household. Amazon for life.”

    As I shared these tweets with members of our field team in Ecuador big smiles spread across their faces.  No matter how many miles may separate the guayusa tree in the Amazon from the boxed guayusa on the shelves of Whole Foods the shared enthusiasm for guayusa is something that we can all relate to.

    If you're intrigued and want to take part in the conversation, we invite you to become a part of the RunaNation on Twitter.  Additionally, the first 15 people who share this blog on their twitter accounts will be contacted to receive free guayusa samples. Tweet away! 

 

 Written by Anna Premo, Social Media Manager

 

Runa is at the Top of our Class

Runa is proud to be a certified B Corporation since March 2010. As a member of the non-profit organization, we voluntarily hold ourselves accountable to comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards set by B Corp's Standards Advisory Council to ensure our business "walks the walk" of our mission.  Each B Corp company is carefully scrutinized in the following categories: accountability, employees, consumers, community and environment.  In 2010, Runa's overall performance in these categories totaled 129.6 points, making us the highest ranking tea company in B Corp. Other tea companies with stellar scores are Guayaki and Traditional Medicinals both  scoring 122 and Numi with a score of 101. We are proud of what we've achieved and will continue to better ourselves, our company and our planet in 2011. 

 

For more information about B Corp click here. 

Runa Gives Back

Runa is always looking for ways to engage with the Archidona community and show them our appreciation for their overwhelming love and support toward our project. Led under the artistic direction of Sofia,  we had the opportunity to participate in a mural painting for the town of Archidona just in time for their annual festival. Watch the video below to hear the inspiration behind Sofia's vision and view the photos to see the finished product.  

  

 

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Muchas gracias to Sofia for allowing us to spend the day with her. To see more of her amazing artwork click here.  

Muchas Gracias

As a direct result of Eliot's birthday wish, we raised $300 dollars yesterday to send Patricio and Ernesto to a MBA program in Quito. On behalf of Fundación Runa, Eliot thanks those who participated and encourages everyone to continue to donate and share the link with their friends and family. We are motivated by your enthusiasm and humbled by your support. 

Donate today and start your own campaign! http://runaamazonscholarships.causevox.com/

 

 

Eliot's Birthday Wish

The Executive Director of Fundación Runa has one wish for his birthday to send two Kichwa gentlemen to receive their MBA's in Quito. Watch the video below and donate here http://runaamazonscholarships.causevox.com/.

 

 

 

 

Runa Rocks Out with Jonathon Santos

Recently Runa sponsored the HATCH Experience in Asheville, North Carolina. Tyler traveled down to serve up guayusa, guayusa cocktails, and support the amazing network of artists, musicians, and film makers.  

That Friday night Tyler was very impressed by the authenticity, soul, and lyrical positivity in the performance of local musician Jonathon Santos. After his set, Tyler and Jonathon began talking about their shared interests in sustainability and cultural vitality. Then, in the true spirit of HATCH, they decided to collaborate on a song that would illustrate the "Runa Spirit." In 24 hours Jonathon sketched out the rhythm to a new song "Full Somebodies,"  based on the definition of Runa in the Kichwa language - Fully Living Human Beings. Local videographer Scott Duncan generously volunteered his time to capture the first draft of the song on video, and alas it is now available to you!

Enjoy, Share, and Live as a Full Somebody.

Special Thanks to Jonathon Santos and Scott Duncan for their collaboration. Definitely check out Santo's other music on ReverbNation.

 

 

Living Life the Runa Way

Runa, meaning “fully living human being" in Kichwa, is not just a brand name but also the company mantra. Each member of the team strives to incorporate this ancient concept beyond the work day and place its significance at the forefront of our personal lives. Brew a cup of guayusa, grab a seat and read below to find out when and where we feel the most alive and awake. Please share your most Runa moment in the comment section below. 

 

"For me, living as Runa is about grooving. When I feel connected to and balanced between the infinity of the universe, the presence of my body, the love of my community, and the freshness of the environment around me, I groove."

Tyler Gage, Co-Founder and President of Runa LLC

 

 

 

 

"I feel the most fully awake and alive when I'm sharing stories, excitement, news, and plans with my friends and family around a good meal, a good beer, or a steaming cup of guayusa." 

 Dan MacCombie, Co-Founder and Executive VP of Runa LLC

 

 

 

 

"I feel the most Runa when I am introducing new farmers to our companies opportunities and mission."

Pedro Grefa, Tecnico

 

 

 

 

"I feel most Runa when I get to ride my bike though an empty Brooklyn street after work at night. There is a smooth calmness in pedaling (especially at night, well after sunset) when you are dodging potholes and stringing green light to green light."

Caroline Turnbull, Sales and Operations Manager

 

 

"For me, Runa is a state of being. When I am living in harmony with myself, and my surroundings I feel that I am Runa. This typically occurs when I am outside either on my bike or snowboard, or sitting on our front porch amongst our container garden in meditation. Nature supports me in feeling fully awake and alive. This experience of being Runa is heightened exponentially in the company of others."

Alex Bethel, Regional Sales Representative 

 

 

"I feel Runa when I'm preforming my daily activities with the knowledge of all of that is inside of me."

 Patricio Andy, Tecnico

 

 

 "I feel the most Runa when I'm zooming through the Amazon on the Runa dirt bike with 2,000 guayusa seedlings strapped to my back listening to the sweet sounds of Plan B's Si Le No Contesto."

Eliot Logan-Hines, Executive Director of Fundación Runa

 

 

 

 

"There is nothing comparable to the feeling I get when I travel. The anticipation and excitement that precedes unexpected adventures and chance encounters with future friends is when I know I am living my life to the fullest." 

Anna Premo, Social Media Manager

 

 

"I feel the most Runa when I am among people in the local communities speaking to them in my native language, Kichwa."

Fernando Grefa, Tecnico

 

 

 

 

"First I am very proud to work for Runa because we are Runa. I feel most alive and awake when I am in the communities with the people, the farmers, sharing their food, heading out in the field with them, and interchanging  cultures.

Alex Hermosa,  Tecnico

 

"I feel most Runa at sunrise. Be it in the mountains, the desert, or the jungle; on a motorcycle, running, or in a rocking chair; the promise of a new day among wonderful people always leaves me feeling most alive. Plus, I can let out a resounding WOOOOOP and nobody's there to judge except the roosters."

                                            Nick Olson, Napo Regional Coordinator

Runagize Your Kitchen

It was only a matter of time before someone combined the deliciously healthy attributes of guayusa with their culinary expertise to create dishes that are the equivalent of Ecuadorian dance parties for the mouth. Runa couldn't be more pleased that that person was Amie Valpone.  With her extensive (not to mention impressive) resume, Amie took her knowledge  of 'clean' gluten-free cuisine and her love of guayusa to craft truly delightful dishes. Of course, you're going to need drinks to make your night complete. Runa happily provides you with guayusa cocktail options to put the finishing touches on an already exceptional menu. Buen Provecho!

 

Garlic Braised Cod with Quinoa                                                   

Ingredients    

• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 cups celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup Runa Ginger Citrus tea, brewed
• 1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• 1 lb. cod, cut into 2 pieces
• Sprinkle of chili powder
• Sea salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked

Directions

• Slice onion and garlic and set aside.
• Heat brewed tea in a large skillet. Add in chopped onion in broth over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.
• Add garlic and celery and sauté for another minute. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Stir, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat about 12 minutes until celery is tender.
• Place cod,  white balsamic vinegar chili powder, sea salt and pepper on top of celery; simmer covered for another 5 minutes, or until fish is cooked.
• Sprinkle with basil and serve atop a bed of cooked quinoa.

 

Tea Rice Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can lite coconut milk
• ¼ cup Runa  Guayusa Spice tea, brewed
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 medium orange
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. all-spice
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup macadamia nuts, toasted and ground

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Spray a 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut milk, tea, sugar, brown rice, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon, all-spice, cherries, golden raisins and cranberries; mix well.
• Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Cover with foil.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Remove foil, stir and place back into the oven (uncovered) until liquid is absorbed and brown rice is tender, approximately 30-35 more minutes.
• Set macadamia nuts in the oven on a baking sheet to toast for 10 minutes; remove and transfer to a food processor to grind.  Remove ground nuts from food processor.
• Sprinkle with ground and toasted macadamia nuts.
• Set aside to cool for a few minutes; Serve warm.

 

Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 head garlic
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup Runa Traditional Guayusa tea, brewed
• 1 medium onion
• 1 bulb fennel, sliced
• 3 Tbsp.  chopped rosemary
• 4 Tbsp.  dried cranberries
• ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted
• Greek plain yogurt, for topping

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Peel squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds from the center and discard. Cut squash into large chunks. Coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and tea.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until well caramelized.
• Peel onion and fennel bulb; cut into large chunks. Coat onions and fennel with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and spread on a second lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until well caramelized. When squash, fennel and onions are done, toss with rosemary, cranberries and toasted hazelnuts.
• Serve warm with a dollop of Greek plain yogurt.

 

For more recipes that are sure to make your taste buds sing visit Amie's website The Healthy Apple. 

Runa: Addressing Cultural Appropriation

    Guayusa is quickly rising in popularity across the US. Each day more and more people are asking, “What is guayusa?” and “Where can I get my hands on some of this delicious brew?” In addition to these positive questions, we are also approached with more serious inquiries concerning our thoughts on exploitation and cultural appropriation in Ecuador. We enjoy addressing these questions equally, if not more so, for two reasons. First, it means other people are concerned about the same things we are and are applying these values in their daily life. That is encouraging. Second, these topics weigh on our minds each and every day and we enjoy people pushing us to constantly be better and better on the ground in the Amazon.

    We at Runa certainly take the question of cultural appropriation seriously.  There is a long and sordid history of this exact issue in the Amazon.  As one example, companies have tried to patent indigenous plants’ very DNA without providing any compensation – let alone an equitable partnership – to the indigenous groups who owned that knowledge.  More recently, current forest carbon negotiations have been protested under the accusation that they disregarded the interests of the communities who inhabit those forests.  And, of course, one can’t forget the decades of misappropriation that have happened to Native American groups in the United States; given that I hail from a city whose baseball team is called the Indians – with probably professional sports’ most culturally insensitive mascot, aside from the Redskins – this is a point I’m particularly empathetic to.

    With that in mind, here are some of the steps we have taken to ensure Runa is a company people can proudly purchase from: 

-       The name Runa, which is what the Kichwa people call themselves (meaning “fully awake and alive human being”), is the one a community leader recommended we carry to best represent the Kichwa's pride and identity in our products. When seeing the product, most farmers say "Runa! Wow, that's us!" - a stark contrast to their experience dealing with many intermediaries for most commercial crops.

-       When we started Runa back in early 2009, the first thing we focused on was listening and learning. Only after we had spent time in dozens of communities, drinking guayusa, sharing stories, and demonstrating our commitment to equitable partnership did we feel like we could go ahead and launch our brand in North America.

-       Repeatedly, the communities we work with express their excitement over what we are doing to promote guayusa and its central role in their culture to an audience that never heard of them before.  We consistently strive to represent that tradition in a way that is transparent, meaningful, respectful, and most importantly, authentic.  Many of our partners who visit the farmers ask them, "What do you think about a bunch of gringos taking your sacred tea and sharing it with lots of random white people in a different country?"  Almost always they respond, "Well, everyone should drink guayusa," completely overseeing the potential cultural clash and instead focusing on what they perceive as the central role of guayusa for all humans.

-       The entire team of indigenous field technicians work in the field every day with the farmers, and always make sure that we are fully informed and aware of the farmers needs, interests, and perspectives.  They hold us accountable for any potential misuse of their cultural traditions, and make sure we're responsive to the farmers needs.

-       We also helped launch Fundación Runa, which works directly with communities to support and fund educational programs, community-led research studies, and scholarships for indigenous youth.  You can follow the Foundation's progress at www.fundacionruna.org

    In short, we have worked and will continue to work to make sure we do not take advantage of the people, tradition and environment of the Kichwa people.  More importantly, it’s not about addressing concerns, as that's far more reactive than we'd accept. Rather, it’s about being proactive, transparent, respectful, and collaborative in the spirit of an open dialogue.  We hope you’ll join that conversation.

 

 

 Written by Dan MacCombie, Co-Founder and VP of Runa, LLC

 

The Discoveries of Sir Green Go

A Fictional Narrative written by Tyler Gage

            One time a thin Kichwa boy told me with a sober face, “Incas, we are Incas, we come from the Incas.”  I looked at him, in the eyes of course, but only for a brief second, and perceiving his error and intending to educate the poor lad, I responded to him in the following way, “No no silly boy, that’s rubbish.  Here, I shall explain: you see, the Amazonian Kichwa represent an amalgamation of what once were Amazonian Záparo, Shuar, Siona, Achuar and many other tribes. When the highland Incan invades the Amazon region in approximately 1487 C.E., they converted the different tribes to speak the Incan tongue of Kichwa/Quechua, rather than actually populating the region themselves.” I went on citing the various anthropological and ethnographic studies that confirmed such facts to all well-read scholars, and so on and so forth. As they say in Spanish, “Sólo tenía que hacerles entender” (I just had to make them understand [for their own good])

             He replied, “Jeje,” which means “mmhmm” or “yup” in Latin American speak, and then turned to his brother, one of them, and I imagine translated what I had just put forth to him, about himself.  After a few phrases they laughed together, indicating to me that they had both realized their previous misunderstanding.  Then the other Kichwa boy turned to me and asked, “Well then, do you know the real difference between the Kichwa and the Inca?”

            I said “gold” and laughed heartily, albeit without an echo from his end.  He waited for my merriment to cease and said, “No. You can still touch a Kichwa.”

 

NYC Coffee and Tea Festival

This past weekend Runa officially moved to Brooklyn! Following our exciting move to the big city was our showcase at the Coffee and Tea Fest, which served as a great introduction to the NYC  tea community.  One reason the Coffee and Tea Fest is such a great expo is that it is one of the few tradeshows that is geared toward the public.  In addition to the coffee and tea booths there were also featured events such as a ‘barista challenge’ and an authentic Korean tea ceremony.

I was happily stationed at Runa’s booth all weekend due to the waves of eager new Runatics trying guayusa. I am not sure if it was the guayusa or Dan’s irish-meets-jungle tap dance that enabled us to cause such a commotion at the expo, but either way it proved to be very successful for Runa. We had to make an extra trip to our warehouse on Saturday night to restock! Ohhh the life of a booming start-up company.

Thank you Coffee and Tea Fest for helping launch Runa into the NYC tea community. I look forward to future trade shows, if only just to break down boxes with my Amazonian spear. Roar. Coffee drinkers beware!

Alex Bethel

 

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Real Life: I Demo Tea

 

That’s right; I give out free stuff and have conversations with hundreds of Whole Foods customers.

I am Caroline, a dedicated Runa employee, and I just returned last week from an epic demo tour of nine Whole Foods stores in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.  Hundreds of (biodegradable!) tea tasking cups later, a number of hilarious conversations under my belt, and lots of empty shelves in my wake – here I am, to tell the stories from Life on the Front.

Today’s topic: Whole Foods and its people. Let’s be honest. When you think of Whole Foods clientele, you might imagine a young crowd with a few extra dollars in their pockets?

Well, I beg to differ. Not so! What this trip demonstrated to me was the incredible amount of
diversity across ages, socioeconomic status, and tastes in people in that grand and oh-so-aesthetically pleasing market chain.

What is so fun about the job is the number of different folks I run into and the diversity to which I am exposed. Just to whet your palate: I had the joy of converting three women in full-length fur coats to guayusa in Pennsylvania. Not an easy task! Babies and their mothers sipped from Runa’s Fountain of Youth mid-day in Annapolis, MD. I was entertained by an outgoing (and sassy!) 80 year old Virginian man, and I convinced a Scottish chap that guayusa could replace his strong English Breakfast. And that is just the beginning.

And now, for your task – keep your eyes out in your local Whole Foods. We are flying off the shelves in DC. Get your box today. Spread the love, and runagize. We will keep you posted on my next visit to a store near you! 

Special thanks for Whole Foods and their employees for hosting us. 

Guayusa Lost Its Mojo

 

Strange fact: Thousands of years of cultivation and human-driven selection have rendered guayusa unable to flower and propagate itself via seed. So how is Runa going to expand its production capacity in Ecuador? The answer: rooting cuttings, a process in which one cuts branches off an existing tree, buries half of each cutting in a rooting medium and then waits ~30 days for that cutting to bud new leaves and send out new roots. (To accomplish the latter, the newly cut branch releases a hormone that differentiates plant tissues into new roots and buds. Scientists are still unclear how. Miracle?).

It is key that cuttings are woody enough to sustain the growth of a new plant while still green enough with youthfulness to have sufficient reproductive power. Imagine an ideal cutting as a young adult, having enough stability to be a good parent and yet plenty of mojo to make it happen.

Note: to all you horticulturalists out there, a diagonal cut on the bottom of the cutting helps to both signify the correct orientation of the branch when planting, and increase surface area from which new roots can sprout. To learn more, please consult our in-house bonsai samurai specialist…yours truly.

Runa is currently in the process of rooting upwards of half a million guayusa cuttings in five different nurseries over the course of 2011. Now that’s what we call real reproductive power.

Ben Apple

Runa is Taking Whole Foods by Storm

Go baby, go! An iphone message has never looked so sweet! Pick up a box today, but act quickly. They're going fast.  Runa is available in Whole Foods stores in the Mid-Atlantic region.

If you live outside of the Mid-Atlantic region you can purchase guayusa online at www.runa.org. 

 

Solving Pest Problems Responsibly

    As the demand for guayusa grows in the United States, Runa continues to research its cultivation in Ecuador so that it may continue to produce high quality guayusa with hundreds of small farmers. One of the most fascinating parts of our work is that we’re creating a new and sustainable production model for a previously unmanaged plant, a process which requires serious research protocols.

    With a degree in Forestry Management from the Escuela Superior de Politécnica de Chimborazo, Runa’s principle investigator is Ms. Adriana Mariño.  Adriana laughs that she recognizes there are more profitable ways to use her advanced degree, but for whatever reason she loves investigating insects! Previously Adriana has worked for some of the leading international reforestation organizations like PROFAFOR, and brings deep experience to Runa.

    For the last seven months she has worked day and night (no joke, she rivals Tyler for hours worked during the late night shift in the Archidona office) to investigate Integrated Pest Management solutions for guayusa in a variety of agroforestry settings. Below you can learn how Adriana’s research embodies Runa’s holistic approach to development and ecosystem conservation.

 

 What data are you collecting for Runa?

The goal of my research is three fold. I am cataloguing the insects endemic to guayusa’s ecosystem, identifying which of these pests are potentially dangerous to the longevity of the tree and creating an integrated pest management plan to combat the insects found to be harmful.

 What threatens the health of a guayusa plant?

If you grow guayusa in a monoculture, the practice of growing exclusively one species of plant on a plot of land, you will create an environment in which the harmful insects to guayusa will increase their numbers until they destroy the cultivation because it lacks the beneficial insects to maintain the natural balance. This in turn will provoke economical losses to the farmer who invested in this plot.  It is important for the production of guayusa that it is planted amongst other species. A mixed plantation favors the increase of beneficial insects thus reducing the density of harmful pests specific to any particular species. 

What is the difference between dealing with guayusa organically and using  Integrated Pest Management?

When you deal with a pest problem organically, you apply organic products directly to the plant. On the other hand, Integrated Pest Management systems look at the ecosystem holistically and tries to manage, in a comprehensive way, the beneficial and harmful insects to create a balance and avoid problems. For example, if an area is being adversely affected by caterpillars, one could introduce a species of insect that repels caterpillars.

 How is Runa applying what you’ve learned?

I have shared my research with Runa’s local field staff so they can look out for the harmful insects that I have discovered. The field staff help me by collecting specimens and describing guayusa-related insects and their behavior. With this information I can better identify which insects are harmful and which are helpful. Once I have collected all of the data, I will integrate it into my plan and create a guide to help the staff identify and solve pest problems on their own.

 

 
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