Tea began to find a permanent home in Hawaii about 21 years ago when the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources established an experimental tea garden at Mealani Research Station to determine whether the plant was a suitable crop for the state. Since then, dedicated and inspired growers have nurtured their baby plants, coaxed them lovingly through their fragile early years, fended off predators, sheltered the plants from storms, built shade boxes to protect them from burning sun and gusty winds, and then carefully harvested their leaves to make white, green, oolong, and black teas. Each farmer has a very special and particular story to tell about why and how they became involved in this new adventure and how tea has changed their lives forever.
