Do you know which country is the third largest in tea production in the world, and has a representative visiting Missoula, MT this February 2013?
The county is Kenya, and Joy W’Njuguna of the Royal Tea of Kenya spoke Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 7pm in the North Underground Lecture Hall, University of Montana, and was the honored guest at our February tea tasting on Feb 27 from 6 – 8pm.
Joy’s family participated in an agrarian movement in Kenya, resulting in the formation of a tea cooperative with over 580,000 small scale farmers in 2000. These small scale tea farmers now produce approximately 60% of Kenya’s total tea production, which consists mostly of black tea. The tea produced by these small scale farmers in Kenya is primarily hand produced, ensuring higher quality and sustainability. In addition, the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya has developed approximately 49 varieties, including the Purple Tea that Lake Missoula Tea Company carries.
Joy talked about how Kenyan tea farmers have taken a different approach to selling tea. Rather than selling their tea for what they can get at auction, farmers set the price based on what they need to make a profit, which is facilitated by the Kenyan Tea Development Agency (KTDA). The Missoula visit was also an opportunity to launch our Purple Tea.
Joy W’Njuguna’s lecture at the University of Montana and our Kenyan tea tasting received much coverage:
Sally Mauk: Women new to tea business and old bring expertise to Missoula
MT NPR interview with Joy W’Njuguna and Shirlene Davis of Royal
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