COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
Written by Tamara Leigh
Margit with Tea (Photo by Tamara Leigh)
Margit Nellemann and Victor Vesely are generating a new kind of buzz on Vancouver Island. The couple have planted British Columbia’s first tea plantation, inspiring a caffeine-fuelled cheer of approval from local food enthusiasts, and the possibility of a new crop for coastal B.C.
The 11-acre Teafarm is located north of Duncan on the scenic Richards Trail. The dry, south- facing slopes of the property pro- vide warmth, shelter and good drainage for 200 young tea plants.
“When we bought the property, the idea was to grow lavender,” says Nellemann. “We planted 200 lavender plants, then stopped because we didn’t know what we were going to do with it. Now, we just have enough lavender to use in our tea.”
The inspiration for Teafarm grew from an event in 2008 that the couple held to celebrate tea and art, creating two themed tea- houses in tipis on their low-lying fields. Nellemann is an accom- plished ceramic artist specializ- ing in teapots, and finds her inspiration in the tea cultures of Asia and the Middle East, so they set up one Moroccan and one Zen teahouse. They began importing organic, estate-grown teas and growing herbs and flowers for herbal blends…
