Tea Time—Harvesting on the tiny farm

Photo Journal by Cassidy Morrice, youth intern at One Straw Society
Photos by Stefano Buckley, youth intern at Heart & Sol Farm

An act of gratitude can come from a warm cup of tea, even in the heat of July.

Here at the Tiny Farm, we have started the process of making our gifts of gratitude, harvesting herbs like lemon balm, mint and several healing florals for our Tiny Farm Tea blend.

At first sip it could prove bitter, but paired with a wee spoon of honey; an ensemble is complete.

Preparation started in early June, when flowers awoke and leaves grew bright and green. The harvesting trickled through the month; offering a slow yet abundant yield.

Drying the lavender was different from drying the violas, which were different from drying the wild chamomile, and the surprises of learning continued on.

Experimenting with all these floral infusions, it really is a custom blend of capturing a seasoned feeling from the Tiny Farm.

While there is no one-way to dry herbs, a collection of handmade seed sorting screens used as drying racks has been bountiful. These beautiful trays were donated by folks at the Seed Collective.

 Since we do operate on a tiny scale, there wasn’t an individual drying and processing day, but many small ones. An eclectic ensemble of energies harvested throughout our season on the Tiny Farm.

The harvest of calendula bonding sweet imprints on my hands as I pull off the bright colored petals, the honey like texture is a reminder of the flowers candied nectar.

I feel like I’m spreading out confetti as I lay all these petals to dry. Pops of healing color I’m excited to find in a cup of tea.

The Tiny Farm Tea blend will one day soon be on the Farm Stand, gratitude for our community to enjoy a cup of tea, nourished and grown by the farm.