OUR FARM
Conventional tea farming is the mode for tea farming that is commonly applied in industrial and large scale, contemporary cultivating contexts. The tea that is available on the market in Japan is, if not by default, grown according to conventional farming methods, and thus it is this kind of tea that can be readily obtained at local supermarkets and prestigious tea vendors alike. This way of farming does not eschew the use of chemical fertilizers and agrochemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, and applies them in correspondence to the requirements for the seasons and environmental circumstances.
CULTIVATION:
Scientific study of tea production began about 1890. Most tea-producing countries maintain scientific research stations to study every aspect of the subject, including seed production, clonal selection (for the propagation of single leaf cuttings), tea nursery management, transplanting, development of the bush and subsequent pruning and plucking, soil management and fertilizer use, and the ultimate replanting of the stand. Although procedures in all countries are related, appropriate details must be determined for each area.
HARVESTING:
Harvesting tea leaves is an important stage in the tea production process. As you may know by now, a farmer can greatly change the flavor of a tea by harvesting tea leaves from different parts of the tea plant or at different times. This is one of the many calculations a farmer needs to make, in order to improve the flavor of the tea he produces, and to maximize the yield of his tea field. Harvesting tea leaves is something that can happen up to 4 times per year. After the tea is harvested for the first time in early spring, it can then be harvested a second time in June or July. Tea from the second harvest is the second highest in nutrients and flavor, so it is often used for more inexpensive teas.
