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Vale Farms with vide of ocean
Vale Farms with vide of ocean

American Matcha — Vale Plants a Pacific Northwest Tea Industry

Vale Farms has planted 12,000 tea plants across three acres, with plans for a one-acre greenhouse and a 30,000-square-foot processing facility in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, Wash. Can the Pacific Northwest produce commercially viable tea and exceptional matcha at scale? And will other growers join Vale Farms in building a regional tea industry modeled on Napa Valley and the Willamette wine region? Those questions are at the heart of our SPOTLIGHT conversation with Luke Larson, CEO and Founder of Vale.

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Northwest Tea Festival 2026

The 16th Northwest Tea Festival brings together tea enthusiasts of all skill levels to discover global traditions and modern innovations. Visitors enjoy interactive experiences, meet vendors, and deepen their appreciation for the culture, artistry, and community of tea in a friendly and engaging setting.

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Planning the heat infrastructure

Tea Advances from the Ground Up

Aarti Shah and Dan Bolton discuss challenges in the tea industry, focusing on innovation, oversupply, and regeneration. Shah highlighted the importance of systems thinking, collaboration, soil health, and modern technologies like gasification and biochar. They also discuss the need for government policies that promote tea and foster a strong consumer-driven business culture in Kenya.

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Tea SuperConnectors

How Superconnectors Benefit the Tea Industry

Identifying, embracing and deploying tea superconnectors can mitigate trade disruptions and create a more interconnected, resilient network for the future. Doing so will safeguard tea’s shared legacy and economic vitality, strengthening the bonds between producing nations and consumers one relationship at a time. | Episode 208

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