Go Green - Sustainable Tea Farming Experience

OVERVIEW

Participate in a hands-on agricultural experience during which you will learn how organic tea is produced on a farm in the hills above Funchal. The same family has owned the property in the parish of Monte for more than a century, but their lives changed dramatically in 2013, when raging fires destroyed their home and crops. Instead of giving up, the family turned to organic farming, growing tea and medicinal herbs using sustainable practices. As you will discover, the process is natural and accomplished using manual labor instead of relying heavily on machinery. Following a tour of the farm, you will help out by pruning the plants, laying out tea leaves to dry in the sun and grinding your own blend of tea. You can expect it to be an eye-opening and fulfilling experience, as each step is done with as little environmental impact as possible. Later, you might linger over a cup of brewed tea.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Join a farming family in hills above Funchal and learn to process organic tea step by step.
• Discover how the family changed their farming methods to become more sustainable.
• Linger over a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake following the experience

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.