I just love farmer’s markets! They’re alive, unpredictable, exciting, and never the same!
Last weekend, I was exploring a farmers market in MDD and met Paola and Veronica, the co-founders of Matear.
Everything, right from their confidence to the awesome Yerba Mate tea they offered me, was amazing about them.
The energy that this duo radiated, for me, was terrific to experience. Talking about what brought them to Miami, their passion and attachment to the Argentinean culture, and the way they’ve adopted the ways of life in Miami was fun. It’s amazing how something that’s as routine as a healthy drink such as Yerba Mate can have such massive cultural value as well.
Yerba Mate is a part of every person’s daily routine back in Argentina, they told me. Their excitement and belief in their product is contagious, and that’s precisely what got me talking to them and then trying their amazing product.
So often I talk to agri-entrepreneurs who have unique opinions on agricultural products of all kinds. That’s what makes farmer’s markets such amazing meeting places.
For me, Matear turned out to be a salient example of how differently foods can be imagined and produced, completely in sync with the ways and whims of Mother Nature. Matear might just be available in a retail store near you, considering how passionately these enterprising and industrious girls are driving their startup effort.
Matear is a Yerba Mate house located in South Florida, and people can find us at the local farmer’s markets in Miami Dade & Broward counties, like MDD Design District, Pembroke Pines, Lincoln Road South Beach, Yellow Green Farmer’s Market at Hollywood, and events like The Miami Flea, a magical place where we popped up for first time a couple of months ago. We offer handcrafted Yerba Mate blends with 100% organic ingredients, artisan brewed mate and mate gear.
We are Paola (from Buenos Aires) and Veronica (from Misiones) the co-founders of Matear. Both born and raised in Argentina, we have been living in Miami for several years in this amazing place that we call home.
Yerba Mate is part of our heritage. Mate is a cultural tradition that comes from ancient times, and the native South Americans called “the guaranies” used to drink it… the legend says it’s a drink from the gods. Yerba Mate is a natural energy booster of body and mind and a powerful antioxidant. We are passionate about bring people closer to Yerba Mate. Matear means “To drink Yerba Mate” is much more than just that; it’s a ritual of sharing, a sense of connection among friends, family or ourselves.
Our organic Yerba Mate is sourced from a family farm located in Misiones, Argentina. We handcraft it with herbs, spices, flowers and root vegetables and manufacture it here in South Florida.
We are inspired by our everyday rituals; for example, the traditional hot mate to start the day, a cold brewed (terere) with hibiscus and mint for a hot summer day at the beach or a warm cup of mate cocido (hot brewed in a tea cup) with cinnamon and milk for a winter afternoon.
100% of our ingredients are organic, and most of them carry the fair trade certificate. We care about our planet and we choose to avoid pesticides. We served our brews in plant-based cups to go and our shopping bags are made from recycled paper. We are a small business trying to be the greener option.
Our souls are very happy every time someone tries our mate for first time!
We are working hard; some locals would like to sell it, and we hopefully will jump to wholesale very soon, so people might find Matear on the shelves of some local markets by the end of the year.
Let’s drink Yerba Mate and feel the energy within!
Online store:https://www.matearyerbamate.com
Social media: @matearyerbamate