⏱ 2 min read
The Short Version
Forget importing; the Pacific Northwest is poised to become the "Napa Valley of tea." Vale Farms is betting on Whidbey Island’s terroir to solve global matcha shortages by building a massive regional infrastructure for high-end tea cultivation.
In This Article
Luke Larson and Chef Jeffrey Hayden were planning a Seattle café in early 2025 when they hit a wall: global demand for ceremonial-grade matcha had created a massive supply shortage. Instead of simply finding a new importer, the pair decided to investigate whether the Pacific Northwest could sustain its own tea industry. What began as a search for reliable inventory has evolved into Vale Farms, an ambitious project on Whidbey Island designed to mirror the agricultural rise of Napa Valley or the Willamette Valley.
Our vision is for Cascadia, the Pacific Northwest, to be the Napa of tea.
Cultivating Local Terroir
The venture relies on proven regional potential. Research from Washington State University confirms multiple Camellia sinensis varieties thrive here, building on a history of local cultivation dating back to Oregon’s Minto Island Tea Farm in the late ’80s. To ensure quality, Larson is sourcing expertise from established partners like Eva Lee of Tea Hawaii—whose plants trace their lineage directly back to Japan—to secure storied cultivars like Yabukita. Our vision is for Cascadia, the Pacific Northwest, to be the Napa of tea.
While the first harvest is roughly five years away, Vale is already scaling infrastructure. The team has planted 12,000 tea plants across three acres and is constructing a one-acre greenhouse alongside a 30,000-square-foot processing facility in Oak Harbor. During this interim period, the company will continue sourcing premium matcha from Japan to support their upcoming South Lake Union café operations.
Building a Regional Chorus
Larson’s pivot is deeply personal; a 2022 health scare reshaped his approach to wellness and led him to matcha. He brings significant leadership experience to this agricultural gamble, having spent 15 years at Axon as a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran and tech executive driving massive revenue growth. Now, he is applying that scale-oriented mindset to the soil.
His strategy extends beyond individual profit; he intends to anchor a broader Cascadia tea community. By investing in specialized post-processing equipment and propagation greenhouses, Vale aims to provide the foundation for other growers to enter the market. Larson hopes his infrastructure invites others to join the movement, likening the current stage to a single nightingale singing a melody that will eventually inspire a full regional chorus.
Do you think the Pacific Northwest has the specific climate profile required to produce world-class ceremonial matcha?
Questions & Answers
What is the goal of the Vale Farms project in the Pacific Northwest?
Vale Farms aims to establish a dedicated Cascadia tea region similar to how Napa Valley transformed wine production. Located on Whidbey Island, the project seeks to build a sustainable local tea industry by cultivating Camellia sinensis varieties. The founders hope to create a regional agricultural movement by investing in specialized infrastructure like propagation greenhouses and processing facilities. This foundation is intended to support other local growers and eventually turn the Pacific Northwest into a premier destination for high-quality tea production.
How does Vale Farms plan to support the growth of other tea growers in the region?
Vale Farms plans to support the regional tea community by investing in specialized post-processing equipment and propagation greenhouses. By building out this essential infrastructure in Oak Harbor, the company provides the necessary tools for other growers to enter the market more easily. Luke Larson views this strategy as creating a foundation that invites others to join the movement. This approach is designed to transform a single farm into a larger regional chorus of tea producers across the Cascadia area.
When can consumers expect to see the first harvest from Vale Farms?
The first harvest from Vale Farms is expected to arrive in approximately five years. While the team has already planted 12,000 tea plants across three acres, the biological process of establishing these crops requires significant time. To bridge this gap, the company will continue to source premium matcha from Japan to supply their upcoming South Lake Union café operations. This ensures they can serve high-quality ceremonial-grade matcha to customers while their local Whidbey Island crops mature.
Why did the founders of Vale Farms decide to start a tea plantation?
The founders decided to start a tea plantation after discovering a massive global supply shortage for ceremonial-grade matcha. While planning a new Seattle café for early 2025, Luke Larson and Chef Jeffrey Hayden realized that finding reliable local inventory was difficult. Instead of relying solely on importers, they chose to investigate whether the Pacific Northwest climate could sustain its own industry. This pivot allowed them to turn a supply chain challenge into an ambitious agricultural venture on Whidbey Island.
Originally reported by Tea Journey.
