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Tumblewood Teas

Livingston Farmers Market Credited as the Beginning Success for Tumblewood Teas

July 25, 2022

Customer Background

Tumblewood Teas, a wholesale tea company based in Big Timber, Montana, had not started out to be a big business but rather an attempt to fulfill a life’s dream of sharing a passion for tea and the best tea experience through education and tasting.” Not knowing what direction Tumblewood was going to follow,  It was more about casting a net and seeing what would be caught in the way of opportunities.” Riza Gilpin stated. But what started as a small cottage business quickly became a full-fledged enterprise.

“The quality of your product is only experienced when they take it off the shelf.”

In 2009, Riza took her thirty tea blends to the local bazaars for “market branding research,” along with in-home tea workshops where she focused on teaching how to make tea correctly and understanding what constituted good tea.

In 2010 Riza brought on Laurie Renne as co-owner. Since then, the duo has continually added space and products to their lineup, including one hundred fifty tea blends, local honey, and tea accessories.

The Challenge

From touring western museums and collecting memorabilia and first-hand stories, Riza knew tea was an important historical element of the American west. Only the most prized possessions could fit in the covered wagons and steamships, making all the tea sets and chests we found on display true evidence that tea was a treasured part of the pioneer’s lives. Knowing this and being a natural marketer, Riza felt she could not just sell her teas strictly in the Big Timber area. She had to bring quality tea back to the west.

The Journey

The next logical step for Tumblewood Teas was to attend farmers’ markets and other outdoor events across the state. 

“At the Livingston Farmers Market, two very important things took place. We were able to give and receive,”

To her excitement, what she experienced at the Livingston Farmers Market was much more rewarding. She first dabbled with signing up weekly instead of jumping in for the entire sixteen-week season but quickly found the sense of community support, friendliness, and comradery to be the perfect venue to introduce Tumblewood Teas.  She also enrolled in the YES program (Young Entrepreneurial Stewardship), where Tumblewood Teas became a franchise model for an ambitious young boy who sold the tea and received a portion of the profits while learning the basics of business ownership.

Unbeknownst to her, the decision to remain at the market would change the course of Tumblewood Teas forever.

The Solution

“The Livingston Farmers Market was the beginning of the success for Tumblewood Teas.”

During one particular market, Colin Davis, the now owner of Chico Hot Springs, was at the market to assist his young daughter with her homemade lemonade business. He happened to have a nasty cold that day, and a mutual friend told him about Tumblewood Teas and that drinking a cup may make him feel better. Riza just so happened to have a brewed Cold Winters Night, which contains licorice root and peppermint – perfect for a cold. Colin returned to the booth four times and told his friend he couldn’t believe how good the tea was!

Little did Riza know that Tumblewood Teas being at the market and Colin having a cold that day would result in a ten-year partnership. To this day, you can find Tumblewood Teas a staple in the gift shop and restaurant at Chico Hot Springs. 

“I can’t tell you how many customers we get here because they’ve been to Chico. It’s huge!”

The Result

Since making that connection at the Livingston Farmers Market, Tumblewood Teas now ships its one hundred and fifty tea varieties to grocery and retail stores, resorts, and restaurants throughout the United States and Canada. It is also served and sold through the national parks and university systems.

“Coca-Cola is buying tea companies because they are losing sales in soft drinks. The younger generations want healthy alternatives, so tea is doing extremely well and is way ahead of coffee at this point.”

Other Case Studies

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Holly Fretwell conservation econoimist in Montana

Holly Fretwell is president of Montana Connections, LLC where she does economic conservation consulting and hospitality management, is co-owner of the Jammin Jackalope camping and cabins, and is a research fellow at PERC, the Property and Environment Research Center. For nearly three decades Fretwell’s research has focused on public lands policy, private conservation, property rights, and markets. Her passion is helping others understand how free markets and trade can help enhance conservation and environmental quality.

Fretwell holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in resource economics from Montana State University. An educator at heart, Fretwell taught economics at Montana State University for 15 years, provided tools and curriculum for high school teachers to motivate economic thinkers, and has authored two books.

Malou Anderson-Ramierz resides on her family ranch in Tom Miner Basin, Montana, where she and her husband Dre live and work while raising their two daughters, Esme and Hasell. Aside from working on the ranch and learning about holistic management systems, she has psychology, social work, and equine-assisted therapies background. Malou enjoys working in community-building and land-based practices. Helping people and communities reconnect to themselves through restoring landscapes, coexisting with wildlife, and creating strong and thriving communities for both human and the more-than-human. When she’s not on the ranch or tending to kiddos, animals, or listening to lands, she loves exploring newfound communities- both urban and rural, reading, riding her horse, and sitting next to the ocean.

Holly Stoltz, Communications Manager

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Colin McClure is a proud Bobcat Fan and a 3rd generation graduate from Montana State University in Soil and Water Science. As a 4th generation Montana descendant with ties to active farming and ranching operations in the Flathead as well as central Montana, Colin was raised in and around agriculture. Colin is strongly rooted in both traditional and regenerative agricultural practices focusing on improving the livelihood of all Montanans.

WSE logo

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Roger Indreland, together with his wife Betsy, own and manages Indreland Angus, north of Big Timber, Montana. Roger is a third-generation rancher with a Farm & Ranch Management degree from Montana State University and forty-four years in the registered Angus business. Roger has found his niche in the grass-fed bull business, hosting an annual bull sale each December.

For over thirty years, Roger and Betsy have regenerated the landscape by placing value in building soil health and increasing biodiversity to complement Mother Nature’s system. As Roger says, “Our soil is the key to our success, so decisions are made with that in mind.”

In 2020, the Sweet Grass Chamber of Commerce honored them as “Ag Persons of the Year” and were nominated in 2021 as “Tow Rope Heroes” by the Northern Ag Network

Brittany Masters is the co-founder of Go Roam Free, a regenerative bison ranch and food business. As a first-generation rancher, Brittany brings her brand marketing and strong business sense to the world of sustainable animal agriculture. Brittany is passionate about developing brands and premium health products. Brittany spent 9 years as a Marketing Director at the Boeing Company, where she focused on reviving the Boeing brand and serving as a brand consultant to airline customers. During that time, she launched a startup food brand in the Middle East and finished her MBA at Seattle Pacific University. As WSE’s Secretary, Brittany hopes to help family-scale ranches transition to regenerative agriculture while improving their profitability in order to preserve the best of the west.

Dylan Hoffman is the Director of Sustainability for Yellowstone National Park Lodges. He oversees park-wide environmental efforts, compliance issues, and programs to curb the park’s contribution to climate change. In addition to his passion for helping to protect our environment, Dylan enjoys recreating in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem – including floating our local rivers, Nordic and backcountry skiing, hunting, or waving around a fly rod. Dylan lives in Gardiner, MT, with his partner, Erin, and their two little girls, Steely and Merrick.

Andrew Anderson, manager of J Bar L Ranch in Montana

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Carrie Balkcom is the Executive Director of the American Grassfed Association. AGA is the National multi-species entity organized to protect and promote Grassfed and pasture-based farmers and ranchers.

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Rebecca Kurnick of Montana Aleworks

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Joel Henry, Lawyer headshot

Dr. Joel Henry enjoys the complexity at the intersection of law, business, and technology, given he earned two computer science degrees from Montana State University, a Ph.D. in computer science from Virginia Tech, a J.D. at the University of Montana, and started his own software company.

Joel is one of a handful of people in the US with both a PhD in computer science and a JD. He is one of the leading experts in Montana, and nationwide, on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology law. A significant area of his practice also includes complex, cutting-edge legal matters around new technologies, including artificial intelligence, GDPR, and other data privacy laws, IT security, and data breaches. He also serves as an expert witness on litigation matters involving technology issues, electronic discovery, and digital forensics.

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Lill Erickson, the ecosystem services program director of Western Sustainability Exchanage

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These experiences gave her the prowess to implement regenerative agriculture practices and develop market-based conservation strategies to ensure a healthy, long standing, and profitable relationship between nature and innovative land stewards. 

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Lauren Dillon received her B.S. in Visual Communications from the University of California, Davis. Lauren became passionate about working with missional companies that dared to challenge the status quo after a few years spent working for Patagonia. In 2012 Lauren seized an opportunity to move to Wyoming and consequently spent eight years working seasonally across the West as a photographer–each year becoming more interested in the intersection of ranching and conservation. Lauren made her way to Montana in 2017 to manage the guest program at J Bar L Ranch–a regenerative, grass-fed beef operation and one of WSE’s partners–where she quickly became fascinated by learning about soil health ranch’s land management and conservation projects. Lauren is excited to continue supporting land stewardship and regenerative producers through her work on the Communications and Farmers’ Market teams.

WSE livingston farmers market manager Shannan Mascari

Shannan Mascari joined the Western Sustainability Exchange (WSE) team in 2019 as Office Administrator and Farmers Market Manager. Mascari attended Chico State University in Chico, California prior to moving to Montana in 1996. Upon moving here, she became a certified nursing assistant, caring for the elderly, before moving on to an administrative position with a wetlands restoration company. There, her hard work and dedication earned her the title of Vice President of Operations. She has over 18 years of administrative and managerial experience.

Mascari’s passion for taking care of the planet and the people who inhabit it is a perfect fit for WSE and the Farmers Market program. She and her husband, Jason, have three children and can often be found at soccer games, enjoying the great outdoors, or simply relaxing at their home on the Yellowstone River.

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Matt Skoglund of North Bridger Bison, WSE board

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Lauren Dillon received her B.S. in Visual Communications from the University of California, Davis. Lauren became passionate about working with missional companies that dared to challenge the status quo after a few years spent working for Patagonia. In 2012 Lauren seized an opportunity to move to Wyoming and consequently spent eight years working seasonally across the West as a photographer–each year becoming more interested in the intersection of ranching and conservation. Lauren made her way to Montana in 2017 to manage the guest program at J Bar L Ranch–a regenerative, grass-fed beef operation and one of WSE’s partners–where she quickly became fascinated by learning about soil health ranch’s land management and conservation projects. Lauren is excited to continue supporting land stewardship and regenerative producers through her work on the Communications and Farmers’ Market teams.

Tyrrell Hibbard enjoyed an upbringing in agriculture and conservation and today serves as a producer coordinator and senior advisor for WSE. Tyrrell is a rancher by day and distiller by night. He manages a seasonal custom grazing operation on his family’s multi-generational ranchland on the Continental Divide west of Helena. He also owns and operates Gulch Distillers in downtown Helena, producing award-winning spirits from Montana grains and fruits. When not actively engaged in agriculture or adding value to agricultural products, Tyrrell pursues conservation goals through WSE and Prickly Pear Land Trust. He serves on the board of directors. Tyrrell earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Duke University. He lives in Helena with his wife and two daughters.