エリンフェザーストンさんのインスタグラム写真 - (エリンフェザーストンInstagram)「One of my New Year’s resolutions is to deepen my commitment to local and independent farmers. This got me thinking about my daily green tea ritual, which I have enjoyed for over 20 years! So I reached out to my favorite tea purveyor @ikkyu_tea who shared the beautiful story of the 4th-generation farm that produces my favorite sencha called “Mitsue”. Here are some beautiful photographs of the tea being grown in Kyushu island in Southwestern Japan. I found these images and the story very inspiring so I wanted to share... “Mr. Nagayama runs a fourth-generation family business dedicated to making only high-end sencha. Located in Ei-cho in Kagoshima, he takes care of the entire process, from plucking to packing and selling (some farmers only pluck leaves and sell their production to bigger producers). His fields are located at 250 meters above sea level, where morning and evening fog covers the tea trees. Along with a rich soil and moderate sun exposure, this creates the perfect conditions to grow tea. A great way to understand the complexity and hardship of producers like Mr. Nagayama is to compare green tea and wine. Like wine, green tea comes from a terroir. Year after year, the producers must work hard to improve their products while handling weather (frost, drough, typhoons, floods), pests, and other outside factors that can imperil their crops. Like wine, the soil, the kind of cultivar and the skills of the producer have a direct impact on tea quality, taste and flavors.” I love learning about the care that goes into growing the things I love to consume. It awakens so much appreciation! One day I hope to visit there in person.」1月14日 8時54分