Spotlight | American Matcha

Can the Pacific Northwest grow exceptional matcha at commercial scale?

Seattle-based Vale is putting that question to the test. Founder and CEO Luke Larson says Vale Farms has planted twelve thousand tea plants on what will eventually grow to two hundred acres on Whidbey Island, Washington. Plans include a greenhouse and a thirty-thousand-square-foot processing facility in nearby Oak Harbor.

The first harvest is still about five years away. In the meantime, Vale will continue sourcing tea from Japan while developing its growing and processing operations.

But Larson’s ambition extends beyond one farm. Inspired by Napa Valley and Oregon’s Willamette wine region, he hopes other growers will help build a regional tea industry.

Tea Biz correspondent Jessica Natale Woollard explores the plans—and the patience required—in this week’s SPOTLIGHT. BIO: Our guest is Luke Larson, founder and CEO of Vale, the Seattle-based matcha business developing Vale Farms on Whidbey Island, Washington. Larson grew up on a farm on the Olympic Peninsula. His interest in matcha became a business venture with Chef Jeffrey Hayden, Vale’s head of Craft. Working with agricultural specialists and tea-growing partners, Larson is pursuing commercial tea cultivation, matcha production, and a hospitality experience centered on tea education. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153

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