Rethinking Development of Large Plots of Land. "Want to own a Tea Farm."

The whole tea business depends on one of the greatest plants in the world, a plant called Camellia Sinensis, which produces over 1000 varieties of tea. Various types of tea such as Yellow Tea, Green Tea, Black Tea, Pure Tea, Oolong & White Tea are all harvested from it. What makes them all different from each other the processing method involved in their production.

The U.S. tea industry is a $6 Billion industry and growing. Between RTD (ready to drink) Ice teas, and Brewed tea (hot tea) there is plenty of room for even more growth. Now, you may wonder why is BHI Construction and Real Estate Development firm talking about tea production. Good question; the answer is that we want to present viable alternatives to oversaturating high-density areas with more sub-divisions or mixed-use high rise structures on large plots of land.

The category of tea in 2020 offers a “rainbow of options,” including bagged, bottled, loose-leaf, hot, iced, and cold brew. But before you take your acres of land and start planting tea plants here are some things you should know before making a huge foundational mistake:

1. Research

The role research plays in all projects cannot be watered down. From types of tea plants to soil to production methods, have a plan and research the best way to get to your end goal. There are a myriad of sites on the Internet that can serve this purpose.

2. Get Trained

The next needful step to take would be to get trained in growing things if you have never grown anything before. If you’re wondering how do I go about this? You would need to learn by going to another tea farmer’s farm to see how things are done. You are sure to get some vital hands-on lessons on how to make your farm worth the while.

3. Determine What Type of tea to Grow

Next, you have got to determine the types of tea you would want to grow. As I stated earlier there are several types such as Yellow Tea, Green Tea, Black Tea, Pure Tea, Oolong & White Tea all harvested from the main Camellia Sinensis plant.

4. Get a Space

If you are looking for something to put on 50-100 acres of open land a tea farm may be an option. In order to start a small-scale farm, you need anywhere between 10 -20 acres, which will accommodate 400 -500 plants and should be enough to start. If you have more land, that means more harvest to sell. Be sure that the soil is well-drained and sandy. This is because tea only thrives on such land. Areas such as the Appalachian, Blue Ridge, and Shenandoah mountains would be ideal for growing tea due to the acidic pH level of the soil and the right amount of rainfall. “Anywhere you can grow blueberries you can grow tea. That’s usually the rule of thumb

5. Hire Farmers

If you know you do not know jack about framing tea, then it becomes really needful that you hire an expert to help you solve this issue. There are thousand and one farmers that would be willing to come work on your farm.

6. Purchase Seeds

After your space is ready, the next thing that would be expected of you would be to purchase your tea seeds, which are available at the local nursery store. If you really want a special blend you can import seeds from a number of countries around the world.

7. Plant your tea

After your land has undergone all the necessary preparation for the planting of tea, then the next thing to do would be to start the planting process of your tea. Be careful and knowledgeable about the planting remember, this is a valuable crop.

8. Follow Up and Wait

The harvesting of your tea for the first time wouldn’t come till 3 years' time. Be sure to always go to the farm to see if all is going well. When the season of harvest comes, be sure you carry out the harvest on time so that you do not run at a loss.

9. Advertise Your Business

This is one of the most important steps that you have got to follow. This is particularly important, as you would need buyers to make a profit. Before the tea is ready to be harvested, you can begin to send words out to different people and businesses about your tea business.

Truth is that if your farm is well managed, then you can be sure to have big manufacturing companies patronize you.

Pro Tip #1:

Product Packaging

A crucial part of both logistics and marketing- your product’s packaging can play a major role in influencing consumer decisions. Packaging directly impacts the 5 senses and can significantly contribute to your brand’s sales. According to surveys, 52% of consumers look at repurchasing your product if they like the packaging.

Pro Tip #2:

Agrotourism/Charity:

Agrotourism is a great way to extend your business beyond just the yield from the crop at market. Many growers have adopted the business techniques of wine growers and have opened their farms up to tea lovers that want to learn about the process of where their favorite beverage comes from. Many tea growers offer educational tours of the grounds, greenhouse, and processing area for those who are interested in visiting the farm and learning all about their real American tea.

Some growers have established charitable programs where a percentage of sales go towards charitable outreach such as micro-enterprise loans, scholarships, and expertise to get smaller growers up and running. And then when they're producing their product, they buy it back and launch a product line for that as well.

At the end of the day, a tea farm can be a valuable and profitable alternative to building more Luxury housing in an oversaturated market such as the DMV.