Sacred Blossom Farm
Tony DiMaggio started Sacred Blossom Farm with co-ops in mind, he says, “I started with very little resources. I knew from the beginning that the only way this could get off the ground would be with the support from food co-ops in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Co-ops have been our biggest and most important customers since day one.”
Tony knew he wanted to farm but didn’t have capital, this meant growing labor intensive specialty crops. After studying the market, a plan came to form: “I spent years looking at grocery store shelves trying to figure out what I could produce better than anyone else. I looked at all the things people drink, soda and alcohol and other beverages that are just not good for you and thought, what if people drank things that helped them and nourished their bodies? Herbal teas checked all the boxes.” Tony adds, “It's something that is healthy for me, healthy for the land and healthy for customers- that's important to me.”
One-quarter of the ingredients for the teas are wild harvested which is one of Tony’s favorite things to do. A small amount is grown by other local organic farmers and the rest is grown on about 10 acres at Sacred Blossom Farm. Last year 6,600 pounds of dried herbs were harvested and packaged for Sacred Blossom tea blends.
A common barrier to small-scale farming is access to land. Tony says, “I had spent 8 years working on other farms and I was ready to start my own. All the money I had saved was from farm jobs which meant I had no money! So, I searched for the right property and got lucky finding a magnificent landowner who let me pay almost no rent for years so I could get started. This land arrangement has been the biggest blessing of my life."
The farm is surrounded by Amish neighbors and organic farms where the culture of helping your neighbor thrives. Tony relies on the help of his neighbors for many aspects of the business, from blending and building projects and packaging his teas, to weeding and fabricating specialty harvesting and processing equipment Another neighbor, a retired farmer, Rob, helps with mechanics. With Rob’s expertise, the farm is able to get by with older, much less expensive equipment. Much of the other equipment for processing is engineered on site. “Figuring things out is part of the fun of farming for me,” Tony says, “I am always researching and learning.”
Touring the farm with Tony is a deep dive into sustainable farming where cover crops add nutrients to the soil and companion plantings help to control weeds. A neighbor’s cattle graze a rotating part of the land. The herbs are introduced one by one with details about how each one grows, its medicinal properties, the aroma, flavor and texture of the plant. The plants chosen are not always the most vigorous growers. Tony says, “I grow for flavor and stick to artisanal methods. That’s the difference you can taste in the teas.” Tony stops to point out the beauty of flowering Tulsi, teeming with bees, and gives reverence saying, “Understanding the interdependence of things is so much of the joy.”
The first time you open a package, you know Sacred Blossom tea is special. Each blend is fresh and fragrant, with a beautiful mix of color and texture resulting in delicious, balanced teas. There are eight loose-leaf herbal tea blends to try: Angel, Dream, Tiger, Turtle, Tulsi, Chocolate Peppermint, Immunity, and Breathe. You can find them in the tea aisle at the Viroqua Food Co+op.