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| Fairhope Tea Plantation in Fairhope, Alabama |
In planning our Gulf Shores January getaway, my husband, Chris, and I had list of "to-do's": dining on fresh seafood, long walks on sandy beaches, soaking in ocean sunsets and at least one round of golf. While we easily checked off those activities when we set up stakes on the southern coast of Alabama earlier this month, there was another item we hadn't counted on, a visit to a working tea farm, Fairhope Tea Plantation. But, all signs pointed to it!
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| Local news pays a visit to Fairhope Tea |
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| Donnie Barrett, owner, interviewed on news |
On the second night of our stay in our high-rise, ocean front Airbnb, I turned on the local news before we headed out to dinner at (yes!) a seafood restaurant. The scroll below the newscasters drew me in immediately: "Tea crop unbothered by bitter cold weather". What followed was even more captivating - there was a working tea farm within a half hour drive of our vacation condo. The field reporter interviewed the owner, Donnie Barrett, who not only assured the viewing audience that the tea crops would be just fine in chilly temps (the area was experiencing an unseasonable cold snap), but mentioned he offers personal tours of his tea plantation. The only request of Barrett was to call ahead, and preferably in the afternoon, as he and his wife are not early risers.
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| Signs at Fairhope Tea Plantation direct guests to park and honk. |
This was clearly a sign! Another "to do" was added to our list posthaste, and the next day, after a requisite long walk on the beach and a quick lunch, we traveled to Fairhope. On our way, we called Donnie Barrett, and told him we were interested in a tour. Responding like an old friend, he said, he'd see us soon.
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| Donnie, accompanied by one of the resident pups, talks about types of tea and how they are grown |
The tea plantation, like Donnie Barrett, is impressive, unconventional and very informal. At the beginning of the long, inconspicuous, drive that takes you to the tea farm, there's a sign posted on a gate bearing the name of the plantation and assuring you that, no, you did not make a wrong turn.
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| Peacocks strut the tea farm |
Upon reaching the Fairhope Tea Plantation, two signs greet you with directions: "Park Here" and "Honk Your Horn". You may also be met by a couple of friendly resident pups who are as eager to see you as the roaming peacocks are to dismiss you while they strut unconcernedly along the grounds.
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| Guests are treated to a cup of tea |
After a short beep from our car, Donnie, greeted us with two tasty, freshly brewed cups of tea. He explained the tour once we were comfortably seated on his back patio. He would give us a short tea talk, and once we finished our tea, we'd hop on his golf cart to view the grounds. Final stop, we'd get to see the "gift shop".
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| On the tour of the tea plantation, Donnie shows some of the wilder tea plants on the grounds |
As we sipped on the plantation’s own blend of black and
green tea, Donnie told us how he embarked on his tea career. In a bit of serendipity, in the 1970's, the Lipton Tea company had been conducting research studies on tea plants grown at the Auburn University's extension campus in Fairhope, Donnie's hometown. After Hurrican Frederick in 1979, Lipton packed up its operation, but many of the tea plants were left behind, part of the storm's debris. On the urging of his father, Donnie gathered up some of the better looking plants and cultivated them at home.
Both father and son were experienced in horticulture, including growing plants in the Camilia family, but to hone his tea growing skills, Donnie went to China. Touring several tea plantations with focused observation, he picked up some secrets of the trade.
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| Joining Donnie as he shows off tea plants that are harvested for Fairhope Tea Plantation's tea |
In 1990, Donnie and his wife, Lottie, moved to their current location and established the Fairhope Tea Plantations after much planning and a few naming iterations. Today, the farm has approximately 61,000 plants.
Donnie took us on his golf cart and, as we rode along the rows of tea bushes, he would stop and explain harvesting techniques. He drove us to one area where the tea plants grow unpruned and in the shade. Under these conditions, Donnie explained, the tea grows thick and full - perfect to fulfill a recent request from a movie company to have the plants "big and leafy".
Donnie also dug up a few tea plants for us to take home, providing instruction for transport.
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| Picking out some tea plants for guest to take home |
Once back at the neat, brick ranch-style abode that serves as Donnie and Lottie's home and office, the gift store was summoned. In keeping with the lack of pretentiousness of the estate, the gift shop is a portable cardboard box filled with Fairhope Tea Plantation tea. There's black and green tea, offered in loose leaf or tea bags. We purchased two of the loose leaf varieties.
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| Gift shop, as unpretentious as the tea plantation. |
Like Donnie, we, too, encountered a bit of serendipity in finding this tea farm. Among the sunsets, seafood, and gulf, all signs pointed to Fairhope Tea Plantation and we're so glad they did!
For more information, visit the Fairhope Tea Plantation website. Tours are currently $10.00 per person.
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