2012: Celebrating a Year of Milestones

The year 2012 was full of wonderful developments for our family farm. Here are some highlights to share.


Waimea Tea Farm
In January, we received a visit from Dafna of Roots of Hawaii, a purveyor of our tea at farmer's markets on Oahu.  We discussed the creation of herbal blends using our teas and set the intention for making new products using other Hawaii ingredients.


In February, during a family trip to Japan, we were notified that we were awarded a USDA Value Added Producer's Grant (VAPG).  When we returned home, we harvested our First Flush Premium Green Tea and First Flush Premium Oolong.  In March, we expanded our operation to begin harvesting tea grown on neighboring farms! In April, we harvested our Island Green Tea, and tried out a new variation – Island Green Tea Orchid Dew, with great success.

In June, we received notification that we were awarded a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG). In the same month, we began harvesting from a second neighboring farm.  In July, we were accepted into the Hawaii Seal of Quality Program through the HI Department of Agriculture. In August, we strengthened and shared our commitment to the environment.  On September 16th, we had a great time at our 4th annual Open Farm Day. In October, we attended a packaging and processing expo in Chicago (with the help of USDA grant funds) to learn about new equipment to improve our business operations and appearance. 
Madre's Mauna Kea Hawaii Tea Chocolate Bar
Hawaiian Earl Grey Tea Chocolate

Also in 2012, we established relationships with two new Hawaii food businesses: Ono Pops and Madre Chocolate. Ono Pops uses our Sweet Roast green tea for its Genmai Chai popsicle, while Madre Chocolate uses it in the Limited Edition ‘Hawaiian Earl Grey Tea Chocolate Bar’. Yum!

Thank you for helping us make 2012 so productive and enjoyable.  We will see you again with the arrival of the fresh teas of spring!

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