$175.00
2025 Season 'Taste & Tour' Tea Farm Workshops
Sign up today! Just 10 workshops per growing season, and class size is limited intentionally to keep intimate. This is the most enjoyable and comprehensive deep dive into tea that everyone's been asking for over the years. We combined the content* from our "Tea 101" (history, preparation, tasting) and "Tea Wellness" (head to toe health aspects and advanced tea tasting experience) into one class, then topped the experience off with an owner- guided walking farm tour of this award-winning, one of its kind business in North America. Come learn about this miracle of agriculture we call "tea". Tea has so much going for it, and you'll have have a blast fun slurping and exploring with other tea & nature lovers!
Itinerary:the plan is that we enjoy class together inside our Yurt Classroom from 10:30-12, break for lunch/tailgating/picnic, then we re-group at 1 pm at the tea bar to select a drink to enjoy while on the walking tour. Our farm tours are available exclusively to workshop attendees. Important: Eat breakfast before arrival as we'll be kicking up your metabolism with Matcha smoothies and all the teas we'll be drinking. Please bring a water bottle, pack a lunch/ snacks to enjoy during our break before farm tour. Wear comfortable shoes, and dress for weather, as our workshops are rain or shine. Class size is limited to just 12 students to keep workshop intimate & to allow for detailed questions. Classes fill up very quickly, so please register as early as possible to secure your seats. If for whatever reason you discover you are unable to attend the workshop and tour on the date you have registered for, you may transfer your ticket to another participant for that same day, but please understand that due to early sell out, workshop tickets are nonrefundable or transferrable to a different date. Register by May 5 for pre-season discount.
Read on for full class description...
Light of Day Organics, located here in the Leelanau Peninsula of Northern Michigan, is the only USDA Certified Organic and Certified Demeter Biodynamic Tea farm (grower of Camellia sinensis) also know as "tea" in North America. You'll learn why this is.
"Tea 101" Content:
The basics:
"Wellness Through Tea" Class Content:
Tea is a part of every culture around the globe, and is second only to water in worldwide beverage consumption. This very popular class is intended to teach you about the importance of reducing inflammation so that you can enjoy the very highest quality of life. This is a “game-changing” class for those in need of the “fast track” to wellness. You will be introduced to integrative holistic health principles that support a higher quality of life. Simple holistic healing tools will be demonstrated to help you effectively shift from suffering to peace through a daily “grounding” exercise, “forgiveness” exercise, and “asking” exercise.
During the farm tour, you will be inspired to broaden your awareness naturally occurring cycles and rhythms (perpetual Lunar calendar), heighten your sense of awareness and appreciation for the world around you, expand your understanding of the difference between conventional, USDA organic & Demeter Biodynamic regenerative agricultural practice/philosophy regarding respect & reverence of all life/all species, marveling even more deeply in our interconnectedness. We highly encourage this $30 farm tour add-on option available only to class participants.
Please come with an open heart, a clean palate, and wearing comfortable clothing.
Important: Please bring a water bottle, pack a lunch/ snacks to enjoy afterwards during our break before farm tours begin at 1 pm. Dress for weather. Rain or shine.
Tea has so much going for it…and you’re going to have fun slurping your way through this wonderful and memorable class!
Get ready for a wonderful experience!
Taught by Angela Macke, R.N and Horticulturalist- Founder of Light of Day Organics
About your Tea Guide, Angela Macke, R.N, B.S, MG-A
West Michigan native and Traverse area local since 1996, Angela Macke has almost 30 years of experience as a holistic Registered Nurse and Horticulturalist. In December 200e, she established Light of Day Organics, a popular small-batch Certified USDA Organic and Certified Demeter Biodynamic tea farm in Leelanau County. Angela is one of a handful of licensed practitioners specializing in homeopathic and energy-based Biodynamic Agricultural practices. These physically, mentally, and spiritually intensive efforts enhances soil vitality, botanical quality, and the interconnected life of which each of us is an essential part. She passionately teaches about the importance of preventing chronic diseases and decreasing inflammation in the body. Angela believes that by eliminating physical and emotional suffering, the human being is best supported in their expansion to their full potential. With the benefit of her own life experience from disease to wellness, she shares a wealth of information on the practical implementation of sound holistic principles. Angela is a licensed RN and holds certifications as a Specialty Tea Institute Graduate, Advanced Master Gardener and Mentor, and Healing Touch Program practitioner. Professional Memberships: American Holistic Nurses Association, U.S Tea Association, Biodynamic Association, Michigan Nursery, and Landscape Association, United Plant Savers, Michigan State Medical Society Alliance, Traverse City and Leelanau County Chambers of Commerce, Michigan Food and Farming Alliance, and The Michigan Agri-tourism Association. She is a dynamic speaker with a thorough understanding of alternative and conventional therapies. Angela is committed to igniting inspiration and hope in our individual abilities to improve and maintain our whole-body health.
INSPIRING REFLECTIONS FROM GREAT LAKES CULINARY STUDENTS AFTER CLASS:
Hello Angela,
This email is very delayed as we visited your tea farm late August of this year. My husband, Jim (solar biz) and I, along with our friends Lori and Bob thoroughly enjoy the farm tour, information, healing energy, and most importantly your teas.
When smelling all of your delightful teas, I came upon Happy Spleen. I knew upon the first sniff that I felt a strong urge that I have to have it. It is a daily enjoyment served cold with the juice of one lime and a couple of drops of stevia. Amazing!
You mentioned during the tour that you have a reading list to share. I would appreciate that whenever you have the time.
We will be sure to stop by the next time we are in the TC area...usually every summer and sometimes a quick winter trip. Retiring in the area is definitely in our conversations. Blessings to you, your family, and farm.
Thanks so much,
Becky S
This place is magical! I have been a loyal LOD tea customer for over a decade. I visit the tea farm and shop several times a year. I always bring my friends from out of town to visit this peaceful place and enjoy the beautiful selection of teas. I feel so blessed that I have this incredible place in my town.
The Tea 101 class is phenomenal!! I have taken it 3 times over the years (the first time was in 2013) and I learn something new every single time. I always attend with a friend and they love it too. Angela, the owner, is PASSIONATE about tea, the wonderful qualities, ceremony, traditions, and medicinal benefits of tea. And she shares so much with you during this class. You will learn so much! Do not hesitate to become a more educated tea enthusiast.
The tea shop has the most amazing blends. Angela was born to blend, infuse, and create teas for the world to enjoy. The labor of love that is in each tin of tea will have you trying to figure out how to bring every one of them home with you. I have an entire cupboard dedicated to LOD Teas. The richness of each blend will have you brewing tea all year long. You can taste the love and passion in every sip. The tea is so amazing, I can brew several cups from just one scoop. It seems like an investment until you figure out how many cups you can brew from one canister and that the quality of your tea is exponentially higher than anything you can purchase at the grocery store.
I live off of “Sun in the Winter” during the cold winter months. I swear by its power to ward off colds. “Blueberry Blessings” is my favorite spring blend. “Hummingbird Nectar” is my favorite iced tea during the hot summer months. “Heartwarming Cinnamon“ and “Sunday Morning” are my favorites for fall. Matcha is my daily morning health ritual for the last decade. I only buy matcha from LOD! They are the only ones I trust to ensure it’s pure and fresh and viable. I love all their teas. I can’t get enough of them! I want them all!!
Level up your tea time. Life is too short to drink anything but the very best!
I thoroughly enjoyed the tea class! It was well worth the investment to learn so much with someone like Angela who is so passionate about what she does. I left with so much more knowledge about tea and its benefits. The tour afterwards was such a joy as well. If you're thinking about attending a class - DO IT!
Your class and tour were absolutely amazing and I find myself reflecting on both so often! I am now drinking your tea nearly daily, drinking a large glass of water to take my matcha capsules first thing each morning, and singing your praises. The class itself was truly fascinating and engaging. I wish I had taken better notes along the way, but I found your knowledge and passion captivating and loved actually sipping each tea you introduced while explaining its flavor notes, what medicinal and/or mood enhancing properties each has, how best to enjoy it, etc. Your knowledge and passion encouraged me to fully jump in.
The tour through the farm brought me to a place inside me that I have not visited for years. Grounding, delightful, connecting-with-the-earth, I felt transported. Thank you. I am not a gardener, nor do I yet understand all that it takes TO garden sustainably, respectfully, successfully, but I know how it feels. You and Michael showed genuine and generous hospitality which made Amy and me feel so welcomed along with the others in our group. It is clearly evident that farming tea, along with the other plants, herbs you grow is laborious, takes time and patience as things mature and grow, involves trial and error, and yet, as each of you talks about what you do, what is growing, the specific work involved in farming and keeping all parts of it up and running, you speak as though it is like breathing; there is no angst, no heaving sighs, no complaints. Your passion along with your having found your true home in what you have created shows in your ease of and delight in sharing.
Here's to a beautiful fall for you and all involved with Light of Day. I am ever grateful we looked twice as we drove past last year and intentionally stopped in and then signed up for your class and tour this summer.
Angela is soooo knowledgeable and the tea farm itself is soooo impressive! I learned a pile of things I did not know, and all the tea samples were amazing! I might have ruined it for myself now that I know what good, organic tea is actually supposed to taste like! I was not able to do the tour this time, but will absolutely be watching for other classes and will next time! Thank you all for an amazing day at the tea farm!
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