Our Garden
2020 was a terrible year for the world, our country, our state, our town and for our tea plants. Last year's winter brought relenting rains that for the first time since we've lived here (20 years), flooded our fields from above and bubbled up from the ground creating the perfect storm for newly planted tea plants. Tea plants do not like wet feet! We hoped they would recover in spring as the ground dried out and the sun warmed the ground for longer hours during the day, but it was not to be, only a few survived.
I know every farmer knows the trials and tribulations between weather and crops, and we now have also learned that important lesson first hand. We are still contemplating the possibility of replanting, but are going to take our time to make sure we make the right decision. Our efforts over the last two years were significant in labor and cost.
So that's the hard knocks news from the farm, now let's talk about the positives of the business. We still sell organic tea on-line and in stores on the San Juan Islands. We are still blending our own organic breakfast and flavored teas marketed as 'Estate' teas.
We still support and donate to the Orca Conservatory.
We continue to work on our Japanese style garden (well, mostly my husband, Greg) and it is a joy to see it develop and mature into our original vision. We are hoping to put the pond in this fall which will complete the fourth 'room' of the garden.