When I started CatSpring Yaupon, it wasn’t about headlines. It was about honoring something overlooked yet enduring — a native plant with deep roots, and the quiet strength it represents.
But when The Washington Post came to spend a day with us in Cat Spring, Texas, it didn’t feel like a spotlight. It felt like recognition — not of us alone, but of every hand that’s helped steward yaupon from “brush” to brew. Their visit captured more than a business story; it offered a glimpse into a different rhythm of work, land, and restoration.
A Morning in Cat Spring, Texas
We started the day where the story always begins—with the land. I walked the Post team through yaupon stands that have grown wild for generations. The harvesting process isn’t glamorous, but it’s honest. Every cut is intentional. Every step echoes the rhythm of the place.
They listened closely as we talked about wild-harvesting and what it means to choose the slower way. Not for the sake of tradition, but because it honors the land and gives back more than it takes.
Capturing What’s Quietly Been Happening All Along
In the workshop, I brewed tea while cameras clicked and conversations continued. They watched our team sorting leaves by hand, tending the roast, paying attention in the way small-batch work requires.
There wasn’t a big performance. Just a normal day, with a few more people in the room. But that’s what made it feel right. They weren’t trying to shape the story into something it wasn’t—they were simply there to witness what’s already happening.
More Than a Feature
We’ve been honored before—like when we received the NBJ Sustainability and Stewardship award—and this moment feels similar. Not because it changes what we do, but because it marks how far it’s come.
Still, we see it as just that: a marker. A reminder to pause briefly, take it in, and then get back to the work that matters. The work of showing up every day for our team, our land, and our community.
This Is Only the Beginning
Whether this article is your first introduction or you’ve been sipping with us for years — we’re grateful. We don’t take your support lightly. We know that moments like this are built cup by cup, choice by choice, and community by community.
So yes, we’re pausing to take it in. But only briefly. Because the harvest continues. The roasting never really stops. And there’s still so much more to share.
