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Mr. Dai and Family, Anhui, China
Mr. Fang, Anhui, China
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We like small farm teas, not only because we want to support the small
farmer, but because their teas often taste better. Large estate teas
are blends of machine processed teas with a wide range of quality. Tea
is only as good as its weakest component. When modern technology is
introduced, it generally serves only to increase efficiency at the
expense of quality. Small farm teas are hand-grown and crafted with
great care and pride. Farmers prepare diligently for annual tea
competitions. They put their hearts and centuries of tradition into
their teas. Techniques developed by their ancestors are still in use
today.
In certain areas of the world, economic pressures are intense for small
tea farmers. Many are lured by dreams of riches to the cities. The
collectives who pay the farmers are usually more concerned with low
prices than high quality. Recently, in some areas of China, farmers
have simply left their tea to wilt on the bush. They cannot afford the
effort and expense of processing, only to sell for low prices. When you
purchase tea from us, you are helping to support threatened farming
traditions.
Organic farming is most successful on a small scale. Small farmers are
more likely to be using organic and chemical-free techniques to grow
and process their teas. Pesticides, fertilizers or mechanical cutting
are expensive. Individual farmers have the incentive to use things
already on their farms and thus practice age-old sustainable growing
techniques. The alternative to small farmers is chemically grown,
mechanically harvested and processed, uniform teas of low quality. They
hold no interest for the connoisseur. There's little adventure in a cup
of bagged tea, blended for consistency. Cultural history and geography
are lost; all mystery evaporates with them.
Help us support these agricultural artisans and allow them to continue
their wonderful craft. When you buy artisan teas, you provide its
makers with good prices for their products, allowing them to stay on
the farm and keep their traditions alive. In addition, In Pursuit of
Tea will donate a portion of our profits to organizations that promote
sustainable and organic production techniques.
About the Term "Organic"
For more about the term "organic," please read this excerpt from an April 19, 2005, article in the Wall Street Journal
by Katy McLaughlin. We think it does an excellent job of encapsulating
why there is so much misleading information about organic farming:
"...The government's imprimatur on organic food [standardizing what is
meant by 'organic' starting in October 2002] was supposed to simplify
things, to make it easier for consumers to know what they were eating.
But confusion remains. For example, many consumers don't realize that
'organic' doesn't indicate food proven to be healthier. While the
Organic Trade Association, a trade group for the industry, says there
is 'mounting evidence' that organic produce is more nutritious than
nonorganic food, many scientists reject this claim. Detailed,
controlled analyses and long-term studies will need to be conducted to
settle the question. Meanwhile, there are now lots of organic cookies,
ice cream and chips that are just as fattening, sugary, and salty as
any nonorganic alternatives.
"Some consumers also tend to assume that organic means no chemical
pesticides were used. But organic regulations do allow for pesticides
from a list of acceptable chemicals....
"Organic also doesn't necessarily mean that the food was grown by
small, family farmers. This fact rankles some activists like the
Cornucopia Institute, an advocacy group for small family farms. This
year, the organization filed complaints with the USDA about three major
organic dairies, including one owned by Horizon Organic, a unit of Dean
Foods, the largest organic dairy marketer in the U.S., alleging that
these operations don't comply with organic rules that require cows to
feed on pasture grass. Instead, the complaints say, the farms confine
cows to feedlots and feed them organic grain, a less expensive method
of production. The USDA has started an investigation into the
complaints." |
