When a tea is steeping and the aroma fills the air it is one of the most magical experiences to indulge in. Each cup has a different story to tell and tea time is the moment the adventures are shared. The energy of those that grew and harvested the tea leaves from the plant is one to be felt. After all, it is their hard work that has gifted tea enthusiasts everywhere the beautiful leaf. From the list of growers around the world that have carefully and mindfully produced the beverage another will proudly be added to the list.
Victor Vesely and Margit Nellemann have took it upon themselves to begin Teafarm, Canada’s first tea plantation on Vancouver Island. I was delighted when I had the opportunity to chat with them about their experiences growing tea in Canadian soil and I’m also excited that I got to share their wonderful story in Fresh Cup Magazine’s May Issue. You may have remembered in the past when I wrote for Fresh Cup’s December 2014 Issue that it is a coffee and tea industry publication. Published monthly, each issue features a bit of both beverages for the readers. In this month’s issue you will find my article about Teafarm “Tea of the Northern Isle”. We chatted about how Teafarm started, the ups and downs during the growing process, their tea processing experiments (can you say maple smoked tea? yum!) and much more. As a Canadian tea blogger, I am thrilled to be able to share an inspiring tea experience from my country.
Making the cover story, it is perfect timing for the World Tea Expo. Fresh Cup Magazine is a subscription based publication and you can order your copy of the May 2015 issue right now on their website here. Also, great news for World Tea Expo attendees, Fresh Cup will be bringing copies of this issue to their booth (# 632) for you to pick up and read more! I can’t wait for everyone to spot Victor and Margit on the cover and learn more about growing tea in Canada. Steep yourself a cup of your favourite tea, flip through and enjoy the words and photos canvasing the pages. Who knows, maybe one day that favourite cup of tea will be Canadian grown.
Please let me know your thoughts if you get a copy.