Let's have a cup of tea...at Trinidad Tea Co

Hello friends.

 

My name is Christa. I live in Trinidad, Colorado. I am the owner of Trinidad Tea Co.

We are a small, women-owned business bringing organic spices, teas, herbs and herbal products to our friends and neighbors. We are locally sourcing as many of our products and supplies as possible. And when I say locally, I mean literally! I grow all types of things, from vanilla orchids to green cardamom, saffron, cinnamon trees, and ginseng. I have annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. I forage for wild local herbs and plants and share harvest will other local growers.

 

What in the world does this have to do with tea? Well, everything for me. When I first arrived in Trinidad almost 2 years ago, I found the local supply of herbs and plants needed for holistic tea and supplements to be in small or no supply. As a clinical herbalist and life-long herb grower, I knew what I had to do for my own herbal supply. So, I started growing. I quickly expanded my own gardens, rented an additional greenhouse, and started trading harvests for extra growing space.

 

Then Trinidad Tea Co was born. With locally grown, organic herbs, I could share what I had. It was small at first, being in the first year of harvest. I started a Farmer's Market booth and brewed up herbal teas to refresh the shoppers. Soon, travelers wanted dried tea to take along with them. So, we began bagging herbs to share. Then someone wanted to send some to their mom. So, we opened on online store. My husband and I hauled gallons and gallons of tea every weekend and I grew and harvested as fast as I could all week.

 

Now, we find ourselves ready to take the next step. Our community has asked about a retail location almost from the beginning of this journey. That community love has led us to a perfect location, a great time to take the step, and even folks volunteering to help us get moved in. How exciting! From sourcing local honey, to expanding our gardens, to working with local bakers to prepare food items for Trinidad Tea Co, we are gearing up for an exciting summer!! We will be the place to buy tea and spices, to enjoy a cup of tea or tisane, and a place for educating anyone who will listen. We will have locally grown herbs available to our community for their own use, and we will remain active in our local Farmer's Market and expand into our neighboring markets as well. It's all about sharing what we have.

 

So, why are we here? Why a GoFundMe?

That is simple. It is about funds to get the initial set up done. I need fixtures and display for bulk herbs. I need prep tables to work on, commercial water boilers, and to buy more packaging. We are extremely passionate about our impact and only use compostable or recyclable packaging to hold our products. Many of you have been asking what you can do to help us with the launch of our new venture into the retail world and since we have friends in lots of places or some unable to take time off to come help us (and some of you are really scary when given hammers and drills, you know who you are) we have come up with a way that would tremendously help offset the costs that we have found ourselves facing.

 

This entire process has been organic, community led, and only ever possible because of the love and support we have been given. I am putting this need out into the Universe with the same hope and expectation.

 

Thank you for reading our story, for considering us in this time, and for any love you send, monetarily or energetically.

 

Christa