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DARJEELING, INDIA |
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April 18, 2014 Darjeeling was a learning experience for Michael and I, as we learned about the disempowering system of tea estates, where farmers sell their leaves to factories. Majority of tea production in the area is focused on quantity rather than quality. That's not to say that there isn't progress in the area, though, especially with this one place of hope that we were fortunate enough to visit during our travels. This magical place is called Mineral Spring - the first small tea growers project in Darjeeling, located in a beautiful valley a few miles down from the famous Darjeeling Town in the mountains.
Those few miles took us an hour to travel via 4-wheel drive Jeep, as the road to the village is rocky, steep, and worn. At Mineral Spring Village, we met with a handful of these small growers, and heard about all the wonderful work that they are doing. At the forefront of Mineral Spring is Navin Tamang, a small tea grower and founder of Tathagata Farms.
Interview with Navin Tamang, of Tathagata Farms
Thanks for following the Amazing Tea Race!
Next on the itinerary: Nepal.
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