A Sweet Birthday on the Farm

Hi tea lovers,

This past Monday, I celebrated my birthday. As a Libra and a lover of fall, this time of year is always one of my favorites. In south Louisiana, these are the last few weeks we’ll get of real warmth and the balance between sunlight and fall wind is lovely. I began my special day’s celebration with a day off from work and a visit to the Baton Roots Community Farm.

I met up with SK and Mitchell, both of whom work within the Walls Project to manage the community farm. The farm is on Winbourne Ave inside the BREC Park and being out there amongst all the fresh air, plants, and the smell of damp soil is nothing short of therapeutic.

It’s well known that we love hibiscus in our teas here at ATC. If you’re looking for it in a tea blend, you can find it in both God(dess) in Repose and Jaguar Boost. And most of you also know iced hibiscus tea as a fixture in ATC’s summer event offerings. If you’d like a refresher on all of the beautiful benefits of hibiscus, you can revisit our blog to get all of the sweet deets.

I’m quite familiar with working with hibiscus, but to see it live and in person was something else entirely. It’s a tall and beautiful plant, sturdy to the touch with lots of large leaves. I learned then that two varieties grew on the farm - Jamaican and South African. They have distinct markings and features that distinguish them. What I know of as dried hibiscus flowers is more like the outer layer of a pod, and I was able to taste them in their fresh raw form. It was soft and sour, similar to the skin of a plum.

But the flowers— the flowers! *chef’s kiss

They look nearly identical to the hibiscus flowers emoji we all know and love, haha.

I also learned that the entire plant is useful and edible, including the flowers, seeds, leaves, and stems. This is easy to believe since we know that hibiscus has a million different uses across the world. It’s very similar to okra and there were also okra flowers in bloom very near to our area.

In sum, it was a fantastic experience. I encourage each of you to visit the Walls Project online and find ways to support their work. I primarily work in mission-driven organizations, and it’s a part of my goals to integrate as much of what I know and use in my professional world into my business. I’m hoping to learn more about hibiscus from everyone at the farm and continue to partner with community organizations doing great work in Baton Rouge. Seriously, Baton Rouge has lots of wonderful people and lots of gems, and I’m so happy to be able to be here and in community with people pushing south Louisiana forward.

So there you have it, tea lovers! Thanks to everyone at Walls and the farm for having me. I value both herbal wellness learning and community in my work for ATC. This visit really felt like alignment and the beginning of a great new year in my life and in this business. Enjoy the photos!

Until next time,

Rachel