With over 25,000 farms agriculture is the driving force behind South Carolina's economy.

Corn, Cotton, and Soybeans are some of the top commodities but there's one place in South Carolina that grows something so unique it's found nowhere else in North America.

Charleston Tea Garden is the only farm where tea is grown and manufactured for thousands of miles, and we're going to see where it all begins... From the Sky!

♪ Tea first arrived in Charleston in 1799.

The high heat and abundant rainfall every summer made the small island Wadmalaw the perfect place for farming tea.

Today, Wadmalaw Island is considered one of the most untouched and fertile lands in the lowcountry.

Tea cultivation here dates back to the late 1800's but the same tea bushes that were used back then are still being grown and harvested today.

Some of them coming as far as China and India!

Tea comes from the plant camellia sinensis.

It is both a natural insect repellent and disease resistant shrub.

Every year in spring, the tea bush will wake up from dormancy and grow three to five new chutes.

It's from these newly grown chutes that fresh tea leaves are grown and later cut.

During a normal season, anywhere from seven to ten cuttings can come from one bush.

From new fields, seedlings are made by cloning existing plants and kept in a climate-controlled greenhouse.

It will take new plants three to four years before they reach maturity and can be harvested.

The new and fresh tea leaves are harvested from a custom-made machine known as... the "“Green Giant"”.

There is no other farming equipment similar in all of North America.

The Green Giant will maneuver gently between each row of tea cutting the newest leaves precisely.

Then, they are blown into a holding basket at the rear of the machine.

Once the basket is full, it is dumped and transported to the factory.

During manufacturing, the leaves will go through a series of stages before they are ready for consumption.

The three varities of tea produced here at the Charleston Tea Garden... Green, Black, and Oolong.

Depending on how long the tea leaf is exposed to oxygen, will determine the type of tea created.

For black and oolong tea, the broken leaves are spread on an oxidation belt and dried at different increments whereas green tea is steamed upon arrival to prevent oxidation and seal in the natural flavors.

Visitors can learn more about the tea-making process on guided tours.

Of course, the tour isn't your typical one.

Guests get to experience this garden with a little style!

A trolley ride offers a one-of-a-kind experience through acres of farmland draped by beautiful live oaks and a scenery that encompasses all of what the Charleston Tea Garden has to offer.

Until you get a chance to visit it in person, you can enjoy it... From the Sky!

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