I guess global warming has taken a hold on the whole country. It is brutal picking tea in this heat. I start hydrating in the mid-morning, eat lots of food, spray Off on my legs to stop ticks and ants then put on long pants and shirts with sleeves. I put on a cooling neck rap, cover myself in sunscreen, soak my big hat in cold water, then I’m ready to “go in.” Ill pick for 45 min or until I start panting, then come back inside to cool down with a big glass of cool salty water.
I will do this several days in a row, take off a couple days and do it again.. The heat helps get oxidizing leaf up to temp and the dry pen turns into a microwave oven and will dry bushels of tea leaves in one afternoon.. We are making excellent teas!
I wear these long sleeve tee shirts which is better that sunscreen, as in the picture with the tea behind me. These are made in El Salvador and most of the illegal immigrants you see on TV are wearing one. I hope with my good sun tan and working in a field, the ICE agents don’t put me in an unmarked van. Ill have to admit that I don’t have “papers.”
I have had tourist get heat-sick here recently. Remember this is a farm tour outside and not a tea party inside. Nice shoes, white pants and a big Kentucky Derby hat is not needed. We are lucky the biting insects have taken the summer off. As I have said younger children are not much interested in tea. I had a gentleman bring his near teen age kids for a wholesome farm experience. The kids were not interested in anything. I showed how we pick wild grass seed for the parakeets, how to get a peacock to spread its tail, showed them my wild water turtle that eats dry cat food, why you don’t refrigerate fresh chicken eggs and they would hardly look at what I was talking about. I offered them some tea plants and they would not take them. The boy did say the big Webweaver spider looked like “Jurassic Park.” In not sure how nature challenged people will help preserve nature in the future. I can not really complain, my own eleven year old grandson is a screen-face and knows/cares little about nature.
I have had a a great amount of offers from all over the USA to help me develop my tea business. They have read in my book that I have more tour request than I can do and have much more tea than I can pick. I have had offers for free interns to come and help me grow the business. As I am on the right side of supply and demand it would be very easy to grow into a large business – quickly. But the fact is, my tea is a passion and not a needed source of income. We intentionally keep it small as a fun hobby and not a job. We make money, but we call it “milk and egg” money, fun money to enjoy. So, thank you for your interest.
Come visit our farm and we will tell you how tea is grown and make. Tours are $20 per person in cash and we sell loose leaf tea and cup size tea bags. You will need to call ahead for and appointment and try to pick a day several days out as tourist are here “today and tomorrow.” Call or text us at 251-209-3089.
Donnie Barrett