Yesterday I made the front cover of a local magazine. This is a rather fun looking photo that I had no idea I would be on the front page. The pictures in the article makes me look old. But wait, I am old. One of my family joked saying I was just a “cover girl with wattles.” The article was well written, accurate and quite complementary.
We are picking and making tea every day now. I am finding after I pick the young buds off a row it is ready to be plucked again in a couple days. It takes hours to pick even a small batch of this very young growth. We are making yellow tea out of what we are picking now. It is a very good brew but it takes a lot of space to make it and the hand rubbing gets intense. You have to “keep it moving” and give it space so that it will not oxidize. Making green tea is not as much trouble as the yellow tea and picking is more productive with a little older leaf.
We are still doing tea party tours most every day. I really enjoy a day without a tour so I can get to farm chores. We really did not need the PR of the magazine article right before Easter. We have all the family over for a big dinner and egg hunt and it takes us a week to get ready. I also have to be ready for drive up tourist which happens here often, several a day on weekends.
Remember, we do not take credit cards. We do not do large groups anymore. We like only 2 or 3 people at a time. We are not a good venue for birthday parties or mother/daughter teas. We are a working farm setting with possible bugs, spiders, dogs, chickens and peacocks, yellow flies and mosquitoes out for your blood and the possibility of getting chicken poop on your shoes. You come here for a class on tea production and we are just not a good place to visit with your family or friends over a cup of tea. The Copper Kettle Tea House just down the road is a great place for that. I will have to admit that most of our guest are delightful, wonderful folks that I enjoy having as guest.
I appreciate the text and emails that readers here send to me. I enjoy answering the questions about tea production and really do appreciate your sympathies expressed over our unruly guest. You all jump in the car and come see us!
Donnie Barrett