Comments on: Typhoon Morakot http://www.gongfugirl.com/2009/08/typhoon-morakot/ Discovering the way of tea, one cup at a time. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:18:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Cinnabar http://www.gongfugirl.com/2009/08/typhoon-morakot/comment-page-1/#comment-6076 Cinnabar Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:54:30 +0000 http://www.gongfugirl.com/?p=1364#comment-6076 I had seen references to the Makaibari Estate's problems resulting from the storm in Darjeeling before and found them useful and informative, but what I had been looking for was information on the region that included discussion of other tea farms affected, since Makaibari was not the only one. They did a pretty good job getting attention, but they were not alone in suffering as a result of the storm. I had seen references to the Makaibari Estate’s problems resulting from the storm in Darjeeling before and found them useful and informative, but what I had been looking for was information on the region that included discussion of other tea farms affected, since Makaibari was not the only one. They did a pretty good job getting attention, but they were not alone in suffering as a result of the storm.

]]> By: Cinnabar http://www.gongfugirl.com/2009/08/typhoon-morakot/comment-page-1/#comment-6075 Cinnabar Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:47:59 +0000 http://www.gongfugirl.com/?p=1364#comment-6075 I do hope that more viable growing strategies will be implemented in Taiwan for high mountain oolongs. I'd hate to see this tragedy get repeated and made worse with time and further destruction of the land. I do hope that more viable growing strategies will be implemented in Taiwan for high mountain oolongs. I’d hate to see this tragedy get repeated and made worse with time and further destruction of the land.

]]> By: Passerby http://www.gongfugirl.com/2009/08/typhoon-morakot/comment-page-1/#comment-6071 Passerby Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:11:00 +0000 http://www.gongfugirl.com/?p=1364#comment-6071 Darjeeling storm damage is mentioned on SilverTips Teas webpage dedicated to the Makaibari Darjeeling Tea Garden (Silver Teas store owner, Anupa, is sister of the owner of this 4th generation family-0wned organic tea estate ). http://www.silvertipstea.com/fusionecommerce/browse/Makaibari_Tea_Estate/ Note the mention of steep hillside slumping that has hurt tea production in neighboring gardens such as the famed Castleton Tea Estate. An excellent video describing land management and biodynamic farming practices that forestall steep hillside slumping can be found at TeaChat: http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=10818 Taiwanese officials are now talking once again about legislation to forbid high elevation terracing developing to avoid these dangerous and damaging slides. I have a workable alternative scenario that will solve a number of environmental issues, and still permit high mountain tea production. Darjeeling storm damage is mentioned on SilverTips Teas webpage dedicated to the Makaibari Darjeeling Tea Garden (Silver Teas store owner, Anupa, is sister of the owner of this 4th generation family-0wned organic tea estate ).

http://www.silvertipstea.com/fusionecommerce/browse/Makaibari_Tea_Estate/

Note the mention of steep hillside slumping that has hurt tea production in neighboring gardens such as the famed Castleton Tea Estate.

An excellent video describing land management and biodynamic farming practices that forestall steep hillside slumping can be found at TeaChat:

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=10818

Taiwanese officials are now talking once again about legislation to forbid high elevation terracing developing to avoid these dangerous and damaging slides.

I have a workable alternative scenario that will solve a number of environmental issues, and still permit high mountain tea production.

]]> By: Cinnabar http://www.gongfugirl.com/2009/08/typhoon-morakot/comment-page-1/#comment-5903 Cinnabar Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:12:23 +0000 http://www.gongfugirl.com/?p=1364#comment-5903 It seems terribly important to me to acknowledge that the tea industry doesn't exist in a vacuum, that current events can have tremendous impact on growers and producers. I wanted to write about the destruction in Darjeeling when it happened, but I was thwarted by the lack of reliable information on the effect on the tea growing region. I ended up not writing about it because I didn't think I had enough trustworthy references to lend credibility to the story. It seems terribly important to me to acknowledge that the tea industry doesn’t exist in a vacuum, that current events can have tremendous impact on growers and producers. I wanted to write about the destruction in Darjeeling when it happened, but I was thwarted by the lack of reliable information on the effect on the tea growing region. I ended up not writing about it because I didn’t think I had enough trustworthy references to lend credibility to the story.

]]> By: Passerby http://www.gongfugirl.com/2009/08/typhoon-morakot/comment-page-1/#comment-5902 Passerby Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:43:20 +0000 http://www.gongfugirl.com/?p=1364#comment-5902 You're one of very few tea websites to even mention this typhoon and it's heavy damage to prime tea-growing area of Taiwan. A similarly damaging storm hit the heavy producing valleys of Darjeeling in May, but there was dashed little comment on it within the tea community. The agricultural devastation in Taiwan was a magnitude of order worse than that in Bengal highlands. As AuraTeas alludes, teas are grown on steep hillsides that are prone to heavy erosion and mudslides when excessive rainfall occurs (typically during major storm events, but it can also happen during an unusually wet rainy season). Land development that includes incorrect irrigation drainage, poorly designed and constructed roads, and precariously balanced and densely populated tea garden villages nearby add to the risk of hillside failure in tea growing regions that are also becoming 'tea tourist' destinations. You’re one of very few tea websites to even mention this typhoon and it’s heavy damage to prime tea-growing area of Taiwan. A similarly damaging storm hit the heavy producing valleys of Darjeeling in May, but there was dashed little comment on it within the tea community. The agricultural devastation in Taiwan was a magnitude of order worse than that in Bengal highlands.

As AuraTeas alludes, teas are grown on steep hillsides that are prone to heavy erosion and mudslides when excessive rainfall occurs (typically during major storm events, but it can also happen during an unusually wet rainy season). Land development that includes incorrect irrigation drainage, poorly designed and constructed roads, and precariously balanced and densely populated tea garden villages nearby add to the risk of hillside failure in tea growing regions that are also becoming ‘tea tourist’ destinations.

]]>