Biodynamic/Organic - Single Estate Loose

These teas are fully certified, either Biodynamic by Demeter International or Organic by IMO & CU International.

All Ceylon teas are subject to extremely tight rules on any use of pesticides or herbicides & there is a clear policy that any new pesticide or herbicide intended for import to the island must first pass evaluation by the Tea Research Institute over several years before any importation licence is approved.

This is because the island has practised Bio culture in tea since the 1980's & they are recorded as being the cleanest teas in the world under successive International residue tests.

What is Biodynamic Production:

Organic follows certain laid down rules on natural fertilisers & either Bio control where the estate plants species of plants & small coppices that encourage the population of benefical insects, birds etc to a level that they create a natural balance where the beneficial insects control and feed on the disease causing insects, funguses etc. Ultimate control may require some use of pesticides that are accepted by the rules of the organic bodies.

Biodynamic production is a totally different concept where the farm or estate is viewed as an organism in its own right. Therefore the needs of this organism must be met in full which may mean that if the esttaes is involved solely with plants and not animals a provision must be made for copious amounts of composting to be generated. The estates may encourage workers to maintain a large herd of cows which the estate may donate on the understanding that the estate receives back the dung and the horns of the cows and the rest is left to the advantage of the workers. On top of this the estate will need to purchase further supplies of cow dung by the lorry load.
Rudolf Steiner (161 - 1921) studied middle ages agriculture where farmers found that there were natural forces that helped their agricultural output. He deduced that carbon was the carrier of formative processes in the organism, oxygen the bearer of life and nitrogen the carrier of consciousness and soul. The dynamic section of Biodynamic looks at the fact that there are forces beyond the earth that have an effect on plant growth, this meant that by observing the cosmic forces that are work it was possible to select the most favourable time to sow, plant cultivate and harvest crops. Without going into minute details about planetary groupings and their effects on various substances such as quartz, mica, calcium, numus and water the estate has large composting facilities, with a wormery section and various preparations undergoing their development before use. There are two spray preparations prepared by burying teh horns from 1st lactation cows filled with preparations for 6 months before they are used for preparing the sprays. The sprays are applied a) in the morning to the roots of tea bushes in the aggressive period of the day and a spray is applied to the leaves in the afternoon for leaf growth.
There are a series of other preparation which are numbered 501 - 507 and the whole process is concerned with the natural enrichment of the soil and encouragement of growth without stress.

Demeter International was founded in 1997 and at present has 18 member organisations around the world, representing more than 3,000 producers in 40 countries.
A comprehensive verification process ensures strict compliance with the standards which not only apply to production but right through to processing and final packaging.
There no allowance for irradiated products, fumigation, or any genetically modified ingredients.
Demeter products must have at least 90 % of their ingredients to Demeter standards to carry the trademark