top of page
Search

GARDENING FOR COMFORT & TEA: GOLDEN FEATHER TEA, MIKE FRITTS







In these dark, cold days of February, when too much rain or snow, and WAY TO MUCH ICE, or not enough rain or snow, might be getting you down, we take this week, just in time for Valentine’s Day, to embrace, lean into, and love the comforts of tea.


We're in conversation with Michael Fritts, founder of Golden Feather Tea in Concow, CA, to explore the history, cultivation, the rituals and the rewards (which are many) of tea. After more than 15 years at it, and despite massive losses to his garden and farm from the Camp Fire of 2018, Mike joins us to share the ecological, cultural, economic, and personal joys of a traditional Camellia sinensis tea garden in California’s North State.


Perhaps you all tracked the reporting last year around the climate change-related damage to traditional tea growers and farms in Europe and Asia? That reporting got me thinking about the ancient history and beauties of not only tea, but the plant from which all black, white, green, yellow, and oolong tea are derived: Camellia sinensis. If we can grow many camellias in our gardens for their flowers and forms, can we not grow our own tea?


Way back in 2010, Michael Fritts, a nursery worker at the time, wondered the same thing after meeting, and falling for, Camellia sinensis for the first time. In 2011, he started, with his wife, Donna, the Golden Feather Tea Company outside of Concow, CA.


Within a few years, using only solar powered tools and organic, no-till, regenerative methods, Mike had cultivated 800 organic tea bushes on a ponderosa pine-shaded half acre at 2,044 feet elevation (600 meters).


When the Camp Fire of 2018 erupted, Golden Feather was the eve of harvesting their most- international award-worthy crop yet. In that fire, they lost their house, their traditionally handhewn tea barn and over 85% of their established plants. Now 8 years on, the farm is back to 200 mature and producing plants, a beautiful, if smaller, tea barn, and equally high quality tea -and comfort.


After Michael hosted me for a tour and a ceremonial pot of tea on the farm last summer, I am so pleased to welcome him to Cultivating Place!


Follow Mike & Golden Feather Tea online:


All Photos courtesy of Golden Feather Tea, All Rights reserved.


If you enjoyed this program, you might also enjoy these

Best of CP programs in our archive:



JOIN US again next week, as Spring sends her inviting first tendrils out to test the grounds, we study up a bit on our bees. We’re in conversation with Thyra McElvie, whose passion is Orchard Mason Bees and their outsized contribution to our garden lives. That's right here, next week. Listen in!



Cultivating Place is made possible in part by listeners like you and by generous support

from

in honor of Bailey Shaw


supporting initiatives that empower women and help preserve the planet through the intersection of environmental advocacy, social justice, and creativity.






Thinking out loud this week...


Hey, it's Jennifer—


Gardens grow so much, including us, don’t you just love that they can also grow you a cup of tea? Winter, spring, summer, fall, freedom or fascism, a well-gardened cup of tea might just be the boost you need!


A shout out here to Sarah Adams and the whole team at Chico Chai, who introduced me to Mike Fritts and his Tea Garden, and who, through their traditional tea-room and amazing tea and chai blends bring comfort and joy to my whole region year after year! If you need a little comfort in the form of Chai or other tea, and you're not in the California's North State region, make sure to check out their online shop: chicochai.com/shop. *This is not a paid recommendation but a deeply personl and heartfelt one!


What kind of tea and comfort does your garden grow?


In Public Growing Announcements this week:


The garden world winter gathering season is still well underway – bringing us together indoors while we wait for full on spring releases us back out into the garden and natural world for real, a couple of things to note:


If you are in the DC area, make sure to visit the American Museum of African American History & Culture’s new exhibit: More Than a Flower, the connective power of orchids, which opened Friday January 30th and runs through April 26th , 2026. The exhibit chronicles the substantial legacy of Black Americans who have contributed to the horticultural, scholarship, and history of orchids in our world, and features Abra Lee as a virtual guide and narrator, as well as her guest from a few week’s back, Terry Richardson. If you visit, make sure to post photos and tag Cultivating Place and Conquer the Soil!


I can’t wait to see and connect with many of you next week at this year’s

Northwest Flower & Garden Festival in Seattle WA February 18 – 22nd.


If you’re in the Vancouver, Canada region at the end of the month, I’d love to see you at the Vancouver Hardy Plant Study Day – this year featuring a fully female line-up, with me kicking us off, and closing, with talks during the day by Linder Chalker-Scott, who will be speaking on “Gardening Zombies! Myths that will not die” AND Claire Wright, will be speaking on the creation of Snowhill, her family garden in the British Cotswolds. It’s sure to be a visually and academically stimulating day!


In mid-March, I excited to be joining Audubon of the Rockies for their March Audubon After Dark Story Time March 19 th at 7 am Mountain a virtual gathering in which I will share a story about what happens when you give a bird a garden…..


Little Compton, RI is home to several amazing plant and garden gems, including the fascinating plant nursery Issima and the glorious public home garden, Sakonnet Garden, who’ve just announced their spring lecture for March 31st : The Art of Biodiveristy Gardening, with speakers Hanna Packer, Uli Lorimer, and Fergus Garrett – All genius. Link to register HERE.


Make sure to check out the late winter and early spring offerings from your botanic gardens, small gardens, nurseries, libraries, museums and more. If there are offerings you would like us to share more about, send us an email with all pertinent details: cultivatingplace@gmail.com


WAYS TO SUPPORT CULTIVATING PLACE

Cultivating Place is a co-production of North State Public Radio, licensed to Chico State Enterprises. Cultivating Place is made possible in part listeners just like you through the support button at the top right-hand corner of every page at Cultivating Place.org


The CP team includes producer and engineer Matt Fidler, with weekly tech and web support from Angel Huracha, weekly communications support by Sheila Stern and Carley Bruckner, and regular hosting by Founder, Jennifer Jewell, as well as Abra Lee in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ben Futa in South Bend, Indiana. We’re based on the traditional and present homelands of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of the Chico Rancheria. Original theme music is by Ma Muse..


SHARE the podcast with friends: If you enjoy these conversations about these things we love and which connect us, please share them forward with others. Thank you in advance!

RATE the podcast on iTunes: Or wherever you get your podcast feed: Please submit a ranking and a review of the program on Itunes! To do so follow this link: iTunes Review and Rate (once there, click View In Itunes and go to Ratings and Reviews)

DONATE: Cultivating Place is a listener-supported co-production of North State Public Radio. To make your listener contribution – please click the donate button below. Thank you in advance for your help making these valuable conversations grow.

Or, make checks payable to: Cultivating Place Foundation EIN #33-1665277

PO Box 37

Durham, CA 95938


bottom of page