Brookhaven, MS – The US League of Tea Growers (USLTG) is excited to announce we will begin accepting members in April 2015! There are a number of levels to meet membership needs, and by becoming a member you are providing the much needed funds to assist in the mission of the league:
- We actively encourage the growing and production of high value specialty teas within the USA, promote farmer collaboration, and encourage new growers.
- We represent tea farmers and their views with the US Tea Council and the International Tea Committee.
- We stimulate machinery and systems development by academia or commercial companies to enable high technology agronomy and harvesting and to produce best-method handbooks of proven practical advice on growing, harvesting and processing of tea.
There will be four (4) membership levels available. The Founder’s level of membership ($1000) is available until March 31, 2017. A Small Grower is a Full member, growing 25 plants or more, with voice and vote within the league, and is board eligible. The annual membership fee is $100.00 and the grower must reside and grow tea in the United States. Once a member grows one acre or more of tea plants, they will be considered a Large Grower. Large Growers are Full members, with voice and vote within the league, and is board eligible. The annual membership fee is $250.00 and the grower must reside and grow tea in the United States. In recognition of the many retailers, international growers, hobbyists, and supporters that have cheered us along on this journey, a Supplier is an Associate member, with a voice, but no vote within the league. The annual membership fee is $25.00 and these members can reside outside the United States.
For more information about the USLTG membership drive, please visit teagrowers.com and click on the “Become a Member” badge OR contact Josephie Dean Jackson at jdj@easttexastea.com.
About USLTG:
The US League of Tea Growers (“USLTG”), formed in 2013 by Nigel Melican, of Teacraft, Ltd., and Jason McDonald, of The Great Mississippi Tea Company, is a professional group promoting and educating tea growers (only 25 plants needed for a small grower) in the United States.
- Website: www.usteagrowers.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/usltg
- Twitter: @USgrowntea
Naomi Rosen is an advocate for US Grown Tea; you can find her at Joy’s Teaspoon.
Thanks for sharing this important information Naomi. Now we all have an opportunity to directly support tea grown in the U.S.
I am curious about this “We stimulate machinery and systems development by academia or commercial companies to enable high technology agronomy and harvesting” I always think of specialty tea as being hand picked and processed. In what way can you imagine machinery being used to produce artisan or specialty tea?
Michelle, similar to our international friends, we will have tea growers of all sizes. For our smaller growers (25 plants) hand processing will be the norm based on cost of machinery and availability. When you start getting into the thousands, you’ve got to work smarter. Since the cost of labor in the States is higher, in order to compete, our US growers may have to mechanize some of the process. We have multiple growers in the Southeast using machines to help plant. Can you imagine digging 7000 holes? We have growers with specialized watering systems to deliver nutrients. There are tea harvesting machines used all over the world that are not permitted in the US and that gives our farmers few options. Dryers, rollers, etc. are all important tools used, and the league wants to ensure that the tools are available to everyone interested in producing US grown tea.
That makes sense Naomi. I was visualizing huge agro machines, which I believe are used in big farms in India. I do hope our U.S. growers will be able to compete in the international market. We are disadvantaged by our labor prices however migrant workers support apple, pear and cherry picking in my community, which sells more pears around the world than any other region in the U.S.. I think speciality tea, which has a higher price point, combined with organic, is certainly the way to go.