The young Eric Chan is one of our longest relationships among our producer partners. Each year, through our continuing relationship, his equipment and processes improve and, with collaboration, it’s been amazing to unravel the possibilities in Chaozhou. Eric, who is third-generation, was specifically instructed by his parents to leave the farm—that they were going to retire and sell the land. He moved to Chaozhou and worked as a day trader, but feeling alienated and burnt out, came home and asked that he be able to carry on the family tradition. They were skeptical, but relented. We are truly the benefactor of this great act of parental disobedience (and prodigal son narrative): many of the trees on his family estate are nearing one hundred years old.