You might not know that Tangipahoa Parish is home to one of the few tea farms in the United States. Owner of the Fleur De Lis Tea Company David Barron says producers who are looking to further diversify their crops growing tea plants might be your cup of tea.
“The tea plants that I have are thriving and tea is the second most drank liquid in the world, after water,” Barron.
Barron said the terrain in general in the Bayou State is ideal for growing tea plants and they like well-drained soil.
“They like an acidic soil and the pine tree plantations that we have in Louisiana are perfect for that,” said Barron.
Barron said he sees great potential for tea in Louisiana especially on the sites of pine tree farms.
The tea plant is related to the Camilla plant that is popular in the south and Barron said anywhere you can grow a Camilla you can grow tea.
Fleur De Lis Tea Company is located on a 160-acre farm in Amite. Barron purchased the pine tree farm more than ten years ago. He ventured into the tea business when a fellow horticulturist offered him a tea plant that he was cultivating.
“And I said yeah I’m interested but I didn’t know that they would grow here. So, he was part of the experiment. As I tell him this is all his fault,” said Barron.
He also credits LSU Ag Professor Dr. Yan Chen for her guidance and promoting the growth of tea in the state.
Barron said the U-S League Tea Grower’s annual meeting will be held in October at the farm in Amite and they will host growers from all over the world.
To learn more about the farm you can visit their website at fleurdelisteaco.com
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