The tea plantation

We spent the morning visiting the United State's only tea plantation and since Sharleen is a avid tea drinker we learned a lot. This plantation makes American classic tea and that is the only American grown tea in the US. Bigelow tea has purchased American tea so they will have a wider distribution.

Here we see the tea "hedges". Did you know that the tea plant is related to the Camellia  plant. Yup, it's a close relative. The plants, once planted need never to be replanted. It takes about 6  years from starting a plant to tea production but from then on for hundreds of years there is no replanting.

This is a tea harvesting machine that the call the Green Giant. They adapted parts from the cotton picker and other implements to make the harvester; It cuts the three inch new growth which is what the tea leaves come from. They said that this machine does the work of 500 men.

From the plantation it was off to visit the Angel Oak tree. It's the largest live Oak in the world and it's immense. Look at the people standing underneath to get a indication of size. Enough touring for today.