Tea, Honey, and the Gift of Local Food

A Conversation with Growing Hope’s Teen Leaders

For most people, tea and honey are something you grab off a store shelf. But for a group of teens in Growing Hope’s Teen Leadership Program, these simple products became an experiment in food sovereignty, a crash course in business, and a way to build relationships with their community. They grew the herbs, harvested the honey, designed the packaging, and brought their creations to the Ypsilanti Farmers Market—where something amazing happened.

I sat down with Nick Garay, Tuula Martinez, Eli Harris, Jaylah Cotton, Josie Smith, and other Teen Leadership Program members to talk about what it was like to go from farm to market, why food is more than just a product, and what they learned about themselves along the way.

The Journey from Farm to Market

Julius Buzzard: I love that you didn’t just sell something at the market—you created something. Can you walk me through the process of making your tea and honey?

Tuula Martinez: We grew the herbs ourselves at Growing Hope Urban Farm, harvested them, and dried them in the prop house. A few weeks later, we processed them and put them into containers. Then came the fun part—designing and making tea bags! We had to decide together what flavors would sell best, how many tea bags to include in each pack, and how to package everything. I was part of the design team, so we worked on the labels and ordered the boxes.

Eli Harris: After our first day selling tea, we looked at which varieties sold best and adjusted. We added calendula because people seemed really interested in new flavors. Every tea bag was hand-assembled from coffee filters, cotton yarn, and staples—it was so much work!

"Wow, I’m Running a Business"

JB: What was it like to have your own booth at the market, talking with customers and selling something you made?

Nick Garay: It was really fun! I loved being at the market, seeing other vendors, and getting all these customers. It was kind of surreal to think that people would buy something we made—and then go home and drink our tea!

Sienna Troy: Other vendors came up to us and asked questions, and some even bought our tea. It felt like we were part of this bigger community.

Tuula Martinez: The vendors were so welcoming. It was our first time selling, and they made us feel like we belonged.

Food as a Gift & the Power of Farmers Markets

JB: Has this experience changed the way you think about food, business, or what you might want to do in the future?

Nick Garay: The market and working at Growing Hope really changed my perspective. I read Braiding Sweetgrass and The Serviceberry and started thinking about the gift economy—how food carries meaning when you buy it directly from the person who grew it, rather than just grabbing something off a grocery store shelf. That’s what this market is about.

Abby Rogers: It’s amazing to see how much work goes into farmers markets. Meeting the other vendors, learning about their products—it really opened my eyes to how much passion and effort goes into making local food available.

Eli Harris: A lot of people came to the market with a specific idea of what they wanted, but once we started talking to them, they got interested in what we were selling. That interaction made all the difference.

What’s Next?

The Teen Leadership Program is already planning to return to the market this year, bringing new products and fresh ideas.

"We’re talking about making herb salts next!" says Sienna.

"We want to show how growing food can be accessible to everyone," adds Tuula. "It’s a great investment—you plant once, and you keep harvesting. We’re practicing what we preach!"

And as for the market itself?

"We’ll be back—at least once this summer and again for the indoor market!"

📍 NEW LOCATION: 16 S. Washington Street

🛍 Opening Day: May 3, 2025 ⏰ 9 AM – 1 PM

Want to support the next generation of food entrepreneurs? Become a Friend of the Market today!

👉 Become a Friend of the Market Today!

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Honoring the Earth, Honoring Our Farmers

By Julius Buzzard • April 1, 2025

Happy Earth Month! Spring arrives with a quiet urgency. The thawing ground reminds us of the resilience of our land, of the ancestors who tilled it, and of the communities who still gather to nurture its abundance. But this year, as we step into Earth Month, I carry a deep and growing concern for the future of our food system—one that has been shaken by policy decisions that threaten the very foundation of food sovereignty in Ypsilanti and beyond. The recent funding freezes and budget cuts—from the loss of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program to the closure of USDA offices—are not just bureaucratic shifts; they are existential threats to our farmers, our food access programs, and the families who rely on them. I have sat across the table from our legislators, pressing them on these cuts and their real-life consequences. Time and time again, I have asked them: How will our small farmers recover from the sudden disappearance of revenue they had come to rely on? How will low-income communities access fresh, local produce when the programs designed to bridge that gap are gutted? The answers, when they come at all, ring hollow. And the weight of these decisions falls heaviest on Black farmers. Over the past few months, I have spoken to Black farmers across the state who have lost tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding. Each has asked to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation if they speak out. We’ve spent years investing in trust—through policy change, the Washtenaw County Black Farmers Fund, and steadfast community advocacy—and now, that trust has been shattered. The jar that held every marble of faith and progress has been smashed to the ground. I am deeply concerned about the long-term implications of these actions—not just for our farmers but for the fight for equity in our food system as a whole. If we continue down this path, we will see more land lost, more livelihoods destroyed, and more barriers to sovereignty erected. But let me be clear: while these attacks are meant to dishearten us, they will not stop us. Hope is not lost. We are building and investing in a local food system that ensures the right to food for all. We are planting, growing, and sharing. We are organizing, advocating, and refusing to be silenced. Our programs at Growing Hope continue to provide fresh, local produce to our neighbors, even as the environment shifts around us. We continue to uplift local growers, ensuring they have the resources they need to weather this storm as they have weathered past storms and will weather future storms. We demand that our legislators listen—not just to us but to the land itself, which has long whispered the truth of what justice looks like. This Earth Month, as we honor and commune with Mother Earth and the ancestors who fought for our right to grow, we reaffirm our commitment to a just and sovereign food system. We will not let short-sighted policies or political indifference derail the work of generations. And we ask you to join us—whether by growing, sharing, advocating, or simply refusing to look away. In solidarity, Julius P.S. If you’re looking for a practical way to participate and support our local food system, visit and become a friend of the market , where we’re reimagining how we invest in and support growers, eaters, and everything in between.