Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/694455
STiR tea & coffee industry international 23 Hawaii tea growers have been working with the state government to establish true origin geographic indicators for the Hawaii tea industry. It is through this initiative that Hawaii tea growers marketing Hawaii grown tea will assure the public of origin authenticity. On April 28, Hawaii Sen. Mike Gabbard introduced a resolution 'Encouraging the Department of Agriculture to adopt standards estab- lished by the tea industry to define geographical region designations for tea grown in the state.' Local Hawaii growers and anyone else interested in this issue were invited to support the resolution by submitting written testimonials. Eva Lee, TOTUS awards executive director and tea farmer on Hawaii Island, has driven this quest for defined geographic indicators and said, "The origin pride initiative is the founding basis in awarding excellence for domesti- cally grown tea. State by state we hope that local governments will engage with regional tea growers for official origin recognition furthering the US domestic tea industry." New book on Tea Cultivation Steve Lorch, founder of Table Rock Tea Company Ltd., has published a guide to growing US tea. How to Grow and Make Tea in the Continental United States covers everything from buying seeds and making cuttings to harvesting and production of the finished product. The straightforward, step-by-step instruc- tions will help new growers cultivate and process tea as successfully as tea professionals. Tony Tellin, senior vice president and head teamaker, at Smith Teamaker, praised the content, saying that it is "the first comprehensive look at growing tea written to the hobbyist and semiprofes- sional grower. I believe this book is the start of a continued discussion, and will play a large role in transforming the U.S. into a tea-producing, as well as tea-con- and cities, while also shaping countries and commercial routes. Recreated in 2010 by Sanjiv Mehta, the company's flagship retail store opened in central London, and there are now seven UK stores in London as well as three stores in the Middle East (Kuwait, Qatar, UAE). The company is represent- ed at airports globally through duty free; at major retailers including Selfridges in the UK, Neiman Marcus in the US, Bijen- korf in Amsterdam, David Jones and Thomas Dux in Australia, Shinsaegae in South Korea, Dean & Deluca in Thai- land, Takashimaya (Singapore & Japan), and Queen's Isetan, Mitsukoshi, and Meida-ya in Japan. The East India Company offers more than 140 teas, as well as a rare coffees, artisan biscuits, jams, marma- lades, mustards, sweets, and chocolates. www.eicfinefoods.com East India Company showroom Eva Lee grows Hawaiian tea suming nation. A great read for the tea grower, tea maker, and anyone interested in tea." Robert Sims, founder and grower at Andalusia Tea Company in Alabama described it as "useful and informative. More growers will succeed and get results with this helpful resource." And Bryon White, co-founder, Yaupon Brothers Tea stated that it is an "excel- lent field guide to all aspects of Ameri- can tea production. An indispensable tool for prospective tea growers and aficionados throughout the United States." The book is available from Amazon, where it is priced at $19.95. Rocky Mountain High Rocky Mountain High Brands, which sells a range of hemp-in- fused beverages including black tea, has signed an agreement with Los Angeles based company Interna- tional Wholesale to promote Rocky Mountain products to all its customers. Rocky Mountain currently offers four naturally flavored hemp-infused beverages (citrus energy, black tea, mango energy, and lemonade) and a low calorie hemp-infused coconut lime energy drink. International Wholesale supplies mini-marts, convenience stores, dollar stores, wholesalers, supermarkets, discount stores, and many other types of retailers and wholesalers. Jerry Grisaffi, founder of RMHB, said, "International Wholesale has a huge retail store client base and has the potential to blanket Louisiana and Mississippi, particularly New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and their surrounding parishes with the hemp- infused beverages. The company plans to use this opportunity to test the introduction of its products to a specific geographic region by partnering with an established distributor and will continue this approach with Southern California being the next targeted market. The stated goal is to significantly increase the company's market penetration before the important summer sales season. US Origin Geographic Indicators Since the TOTUS (Tea of the United States) awards in Hawaii last October,