There are a number of herb growers around the Stelvio National Park. But an unorthodox pair of rebels from South Tyrol, had more ambitious plans. Conceived as an economic cycle, Lorenz & Leander are set out to create an eco-sociological project with a strong message, promoting the salubrious and epicurean enjoyment of teas. With their trademark flavour!
In South Tyrol in general, and especially on the Sonnenberg mountain in the Vinschgau/Val Venosta Valley and the There are a number of herb growers around the Stelvio National Park. But an unorthodox pair of rebels from South Tyrol, had more ambitious plans. Conceived as an economic cycle, Lorenz & Leander are set out to create an eco-sociological project with a strong message, promoting the salubrious and epicurean enjoyment of teas. With their trademark flavour!
In South Tyrol in general, and especially on the Sonnenberg mountain in the Vinschgau/Val Venosta Valley and the Stelvio National Park, a wide variety of spicy, intensely aromatic mountain herbs are found. When cultivated at such high altitudes, their full healing potential and fragrances become even more accentuated. In the imposing Ortler Group Glacier, as well as in the Martelltal/Val Martello Valley and in the settlement of Mals/Malles, ‘herb rebels’ Lorenz & Leander cultivate their mountain herbs and flowers, in partnership with three small local farms. The herbs are processed into original tea blends and then packed and labelled by the Lebenshilfe Vinschgau, an association supporting people with disabilities in their quest for a self-determined life. So, how did this unusual partnership originate?
The cycle
After hitting on the concept, a strategy was slowly developed to assess its feasibility and the young rebel pioneers were ready to make their first move. To streamline logistics and safeguard the freshness of their products, they set up their first herb drying plant in Martell, followed by another in Mals/Malles, close to where the herbs are grown, and around the Stelvio National Park region. The cultivations are on land provided by three local family farms in these mountains, where the herbs and flowers are manually harvested and slow-dried so as to preserve their intense aroma. The partnership with the mountain farmers made a lot of sense, but that wasn’t enough for the ‘herb rebels’. They then came up with the idea of joining up with the local Lebenshilfe Vinschgau association, which helps the physically challenged achieve a level of self-sufficiency. Blended by Lorenz & Leander, the noble herbal teas are individually manually packed and labelled by disabled co-workers, thus providing them with a living. Although Lorenz & Leander’s herbal teas are organically certified, this doesn’t appear on the packaging.
Tea blends
The ‘herb rebels’ herb teas comprise a choice of blends and are available in 100% biodegradable pyramid bags made of vegetable fibre or attractive recyclable stainless-steel tea tins. Compared to most other tea tins, these have a longer recycling life making downcycling unnecessary. The South Tyrolean ‘herb rebels’ also offer practical refills for loose leaf teas, to help avoid wastage. They also produce handmade tea stands for the hotel and catering industry made of South Tyrolean Swiss stone pine and marble from Göflan/Covelano. A full cycle thus comes together in this unique and genuinely sustainable project.
Contact:
Lorenz&Leander
Ennewasser/Trattla No. 246
I- 39020 Martell/Martello (BZ)
email: info@rebellen.it
call Lorenz +39 347 9907625
call Leander +39 339 4526520
http://www.rebellen.it/