Could tea be California’s next cash crop? Take a taste March 19 | Food Blog

Public invited to learn about potential for new crop at Kearney REC Tea Day

Learn about tea culture and cultivation in California’s Central Valley climate at Tea Day on Thursday, March 19, at UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, south of Fresno. 

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, aside from water, and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., Inc. More than 160 million Americans drink tea. Yet tea isn’t grown domestically.

Atef Swelam would like to see California growers capitalize on this untapped market.

KREC Director Atef Swelam would like to see California growers capitalize on this untapped market. 

“We import about 120 million pounds of tea into the U.S. annually, spending about $6 billion,” said Swelam.

As San Joaquin Valley farmland is retired to comply with the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Swelam sees the niche crop as a way growers can maximize profit per acre. 

Swelam is inviting growers and tea drinkers to see the tea plants growing at Kearney REC, learn about the history of tea in California, explore opportunities for growing and marketing the crop and engage in a sensory experience with teas brewed from varieties grown at the research center.

Tea was first planted at Kearney REC in 1967, when the Lipton tea company funded a tea research project. Although that project ended in 1980, the center has continued to grow and study tea.

UC scientists will present the latest tea research and marketability. Participants will be invited to examine the 18 distinct cultivars planted in the field, and tea plants will be for sale for $25 each from the greenhouse.

After the tasting, Tea Day participants will be invited to provide feedback on the top three varieties they recommend that Kearney REC team prioritizes for growing in California.

Register for the free event at https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=48675. UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center is located at 9240 S Riverbend Ave in Parlier.

Tea Day Schedule:
8 a.m. – On-site registration

8:15-8:45 a.m. – Refreshments and networking

8:45 a.m. – Welcome by Atef Swelam, director of UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center

9-10 a.m. – Presentations:

• UC Davis professor Jacquelyn Gervay Hague – “Innovation Takes Root: Establishing Tea Production in California”
• Alex Ng, Taiwan tea scientist visiting UC Davis – “From Leaf to Legacy: Tea Appreciation and Cultural Foundations for California Farmers”
• Katharine Burnett, founder of the Global Tea Institute at UC Davis – “Role of the Global Tea Institute for the Study of Tea Culture and Science”

10-11 a.m. – Participants will be able to visit the tea field and greenhouse. Tea plants will be available for sale.

11 a.m.-Noon – Tea sensory experience