we have changed

all things change and we have now evolved fully into teafarm.

you can now find us at our new website...

www.teafarm.ca

teafarm

when the CBC mini suv pulled in to the drive way and we met with Khalil Akhtar, who has a national food show called The Main Ingredient, we thought this tea thing is getting fun.
we love sharing what we are doing and did so with Khalil for the Victoria based CBC radio show On The Island.

check out the podcast...

click

taste of tea

We are in the wonderful transition of creating teafarm out of artfarm and our new website will soon expand and grow as all things do on the farm.

visit www.teafarm.ca










JULY & AUGUST 2010 TASTING SCHEDULE

~

July 11, 2010 Teas of India
Black, Green and White

July 18, 2010 Lavender in Tea
Persia (black), Cowichan Caravan (black), Surprise

July 25, 2010 Iced Tea
Black, Green, Herbal

August 1, 2010 Oolong Teas

August 8, 2010 The Colours of Tea
Black, Green, White

August 15, 2010 Chai
Black, Mate & Rooibos

August 22, 2010 Darjeelings
Selimbong, Singbulli, Seeyok

August 29, 2010 Green Teas of China
Gunpowder, Lincang Maofeng, Jasmine


A TASTE OF TEA Sundays 10 am – 5:00 pm Sample a minimum of three different fair trade and organic teas. Price per person is $ 5.00 Call ahead to reserve.

TEA PARTIES Teafarm will happily host your next tea party. We offer an eclectic, comfortable & tasty experience with a superb choice of teas. Six person minimum. Call to book your party. ~

Our summer hours are Wednesday-Sunday 10am-5pm

tractor kiss

a wise man once said... "any day on a tractor is a good day".

i agree.
i recently had the pleasure of a very good day of tilling the lower field on the farm.




thanks to monsieur wise guy frederic, a good friend and good neighbour who has a magical vineyard around the corner on mays road called saison for sharing the day.



. . . do what you love.
. . . love what you do.

tea is in

after much planning, digging, sweat and smiles... the tea is finally in the ground. the picture is of the process mid stage and we will update soon with a another visual of the nice and tidy.

the plants are happy and growing... and so are we!

no place like it

this is the cowichan valley.



there aint no place like it. for a giggle and a shout out to family back east... check out this little bit of visual mind candy...

cowichan on youtube

taste of the market

here is the big picture.
we are at the duncan farmers market on ingram street near the city hall square from 9am to 2pm on saturdays.

we are also at the bowen rd nanaimo farmers market at beban park from 4pm to 6:30pm on wednesdays.

the teas below are the blends we feature at the markets. see us at the farm for a greater selection of fair trade and organic teas.


PERSIA
darjeeling, earl grey, ceylon, lavender
A beautifully aromatic black tea with floral tones of lavender


FLORA
assam, earl grey, rose petals, lavender
Flavourful, smooth black tea perfectly scented with rose, lavender and a hint of bergamot


TIGERTEA
assam, ceylon, yunnan cinnamon, ginger, orange peel, calendula
A delightfully spicy blend of classic black teas. Goes well with milk or soy.


COWICHAN CARAVAN
assam, ceylon, keemun, oolong, lapsang, lavender
Invigorating, rich and perfectly smokey. A great tea for drinking and cooking.


BLACK LAVENDER
earl grey, lavender
A classic earl grey with a touch of lavender


MOROCCO
peppermint, gunpowder
A classic mix of green gunpowder and peppermint.


SWEET MOROCCO
peppermint, gunpowder, stevia, orange peel
A refreshing combination of peppermint and green gunpowder,
slightly sweetened with stevia and orange. A great iced tea.


MYSTEAQUE
peppermint, lemongrass, licorice root, calendula
A soothing, refreshing and naturally sweet cup of herbal goodness. Caffeine free.


MINTY NETTLE
stinging nettle, peppermint
An earthy, comforting and healthful herbal tea. Caffeine free.


CALMLAV
chamomile, lavender
A gentle herbal blend with wonderfully soothing and
calming properties. Caffeine free.

one plant

when we tell people that all tea comes from one type of plant they are usually truly surprised. all teas be they black, green, white, pu-er or oolong come from the Camellia sinensis plant. what distinguishes the tea type, variation and flavour is of course climate, geography and how it is picked, manufactured and processed.

it is a beautiful plant and we are in our process of planting many one and two year old seedlings and several three and four year olds.

click on the picture and you will see the beauty.

RENOvations

we are currently undergoing some renovations to get ready for the upcoming season. this includes the studio and gallery and our future drying room. so... we will be closed for visits until april 8. if you have to have to get your tea we will accomodate as best we can. please call ahead.

we had the good fortune of being interviewed on CBC radio North By Northwest with sheryl mackay saturday march 27 at the Superior Cafe

http://www.cbc.ca/nxnw/

seems though the on location broadcast was not uploaded as podcast.hmm.
we had fun getting up at 4am to be in victoria at 6.

we are also renovating our teafarm website so know that you will be able to order tea there soon as well

www.teafarm.ca/

have a wonderful weekend.

tea in the cowichan valley

well it has been ideas and dreams that have moved us along and now a new chapter at the farm is alive and real.

we have just received our lovely and amazing camellia sinensis... yes tea is here on the farm!

we are preparing the soil and terracing and will be planting when there is no risk of night frost.

we are thrilled to be sharing the dream!

the show

the tea festival was a wonderful success in meeting new tea lovers and folks who revisited us at the crystal gardens in victoria.

pouring tea

come join us at the victoria tea festival.

we are pouring tea. lotsa new tea.

like TIGERTEA. our new blend to celebrate Chinese New Year.

we are also celebrating having completed the tasting cups for the festival.

come taste the pleasure.

we will be closed at the farm on saturday and sunday.

up close

we have become intimately connected to the tasting cups we are creating for the victoria tea festival this weekend. the process is multi faceted. at this point the cups are brushed with a green oxide over the stampings. the oxide dries and then the excess is rubbed off leaving some in the imprint... many many times.

800

what you are looking at are the bottoms of the tasting cups that have been individually inscribed with a number in a series of 800. the clay is drying and the number will be scraped to remove the excess clay.

the cups hold a beautifully imperfect shape that makes each sip unique!

...

one must allow the storm

that brings the rain

to create the rainbow

journey of a tasting cup

at last years victoria tea festival we sold artfarm tasting cups to folks who wanted a real tea tasting experience. we had the idea to partner with the festival to donate tasting cups as a way to raise money for camosun child care services and contribute to an improved sustainable tea experience.

well... here is part of the tasting cups journey as we work towards the festival on february 13+14 2010.

clay is an amazing medium to create in. form and function are shaped with skill and patience. one does not rush clay. here it is in its wet malleable form. clay has memory . clay has resilience.

our very generous friends ange, jo and peggy are part of the team contributing their time and energy to the effort.

cups are worked, shaped, trimmed, smoothed, dried, stamped, numbered, bisque fired, glazed, dried, glaze fired, sanded and tested.

you will experience a one of a kind cup of tea at the victoria tea festival. VOILA...

it will be fun... come see us.

tea gallery

some days magic just happens with a smile. our wonderful friend margaret deweese (owner of shibui bed&breakfast in maple bay)walked in and was the first person to experience our new and ever evolving tea gallery. although the tea bar is not fully built yet, margaret still enjoyed a wonderful cup of divinitea.

luv the tea

one of our most popular tea blends is a mixture of licorice root + peppermint + lemon grass + calendula. this recipe seems to surprise the palate and sweeten the moment. at our teabar you can try any tea that intrigues you.

discover the eclectic experience...