We spent the last month of winter auditing the finances of our Certified USDA Organic and Demeter Certified farm and products. We're in our 20th year now. 

We evaluated our cost of goods, hoop houses, utilities, taxes, labor for growing, processing, packaging (production), certifications compliance, and realized very quickly that we have been undercharging for these very labor-intensive offerings, particularly those that are 100% from our farm. What we do is very rare, very expensive, and exceptionally time consuming/ labor-intensive. Growing tea (an Agricultural Zone 9 plant) in Michigan (Agricultural Zone 4)  is a miracle possible only because of hoop houses. This is why  99.99% of all tea companies in our country outsource completely because to buy tea and properly support the farmer's expenses of  US labor at $20/hour to prune, pluck leaves, meticulously process, etc.is not a money-making sustainable business. Additionally,  tins and other packaging materials cost has increased by 50% and the  shipping to get them here went up 62% since we last ordered them in fall of 2019. 

Each week we receive many emails. There is increasingly high demand for customers wanting ‘just what you grow”, but our supply of our unusual and pristine product is limited.

It is monumentally more expensive to produce here, growing tea out of zone, using local labor than it would be for us to outsourcing completely from countries who essentially grossly underpay their workers.  It is essentially a "slave labor" industry in most parts of the underdeveloped world. Same with coffee, chocolate and other businesses who market their products as 'fair trade" to help their customers feel better about their transaction.

The only other domestic  grower that is even remotely comparable to us in quality (and they are not certified USDA organic or certified Demeter Biodynamic) is Hawaii Tea, and their prices are double ours at the time of this post. Their prices are appropriate. They wisely sell this precious crop by the gram. 

We're sorry for the increase in price, all, but it is necessary to keep us going over here.  It’s very expensive to do what we do.

Our store has been closed x 3 years now, and web sales are our only income stream.  We thank you for your web orders, and deeply thank you for your support of this special place.

Warmly,

Angela and tea farm family