The quality of the mao cha the most important factor in making puer. The ideal mao cha is two leaves and one bud. Farmers typically bring their mao cha to towns and villages where it is purchased by local buyers and sorted and then purchased by puer producers. Although relatively large 18 mao cha ready to sell to producer.jpgareas may be favorite places for certain producers to buy their mao cha, the cultivation is done by small farmers. Since puer has become more popular, many farmers are cutting their old trees to create bushes which have a better yield, so the number of old trees is decreasing every year. Most commercial puer is a blend of mao cha from different areas and there are some producers that will reveal the areas in Yunnan where the mao cha originated. These kinds of details enhance the value of the tea over time, and we try to supply this information whenever we can. The tea grows in high mountain areas and the mao cha is brought now to the villages in the valley once a week to be sold. The process hasn’t changed for centuries.