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Cultivating Wichita

So THIS Happened — Wichita's local culture and personal growth podcast, hosted by Jen Cole and Rachel Chappelle — traded wine glasses for teacups this episode. Recorded live at Mulberry Gallery inside Revolutsia (the shipping-container creative hub on Central Ave), Jen and Rachel sat down with Naquela of Planted Tea Shop, a Wichita-based tea and herbal education business, to talk tea culture, community, and how to build a life around slowing down.

🍵 Meet Naquela of Planted Tea Shop

Naquela moved back to Wichita from Thailand about five and a half years ago looking for a place to sit with a good cup of tea and get some work done — and couldn't find one. So she built it herself, starting with blending her own herbs and sharing them with curious friends. What started as pop-ups grew into educational workshops, a clinical herbalism education, and now Tea Fest — her biggest event yet.

🎲 This or That: Tea & Herbal Ritual Edition

Herbally and tea-themed for the first time ever on the show. A few highlights:

• Loose leaf vs. tea bag — loose leaf won in a landslide (fewer chemicals, more surface area, and it's just prettier)
• Morning ritual vs. afternoon wind-down — Naquela leans morning, with something that has "a little bit of perk" in it
• Hot brew vs. cold brew — depends entirely on the herb: roots need heat, mucilaginous herbs like slippery elm need cold

Jen may have been quietly outed as a bag-tea girl. We're not naming names. (We're naming names.)

🌱 Building Tea & Herbal Knowledge in Wichita

Naquela's mission has always been education first — not just selling tea, but teaching people what it actually does. Her favorite surprising fact: lavender isn't just for aromatherapy, it's a genuine pain reliever, especially for cramps. Her biggest myth-buster for beginners: you don't need a 10-herb blend to get started. Pick one herb, learn how it makes you feel, and build from there.

🫖 Communi-Tea, Not Just Customers

Naquela's newsletter is called Communi-tea (yes, the pun is fully intended), and it's where she shares behind-the-scenes stories — like the stack of herbal books passed down from her grandfather. It's part of a bigger philosophy: tea education as something shared and passed down, not gatekept. She remembers regulars by name and by what they came in looking for — real community, not just transactions.

🔥 Workshops & Fire Cider Season

Naquela's next workshop is a Fire Cider make-and-take — an herbal oxymel of roots, herbs, and vegetables infused in vinegar over several weeks, perfect for immune support heading into cold season. Sessions are September 13 and October 3 at Old Espresso To GoGo, across from Naftzger Park at St. Francis and Douglas. Everything's provided — just show up. Register on her website or social media.

🍃 Tea Fest — Saturday, September 12

Free and open to the whole community, 11 AM–3 PM at Naftzger Park. What to expect:

• ~25 vendors — tea and herbal makers on one side, wellness and artisan makers on the other
• A community art installation, "Leaves of Wichita" — paint a leaf and leave some encouragement for the city
• A kids' painting station, live music at 1 PM, and food trucks
• First 50 visitors to the Planted Tea Shop booth get a Tea Fest passport — collect stamps around the park for a shot at prizes

Presented with support from Downtown Wichita, the Wichita Area Arts Council, and Festive ICT.

🥕 Old Town Farm & Art Market

This is Naquela's first season as a vendor at the Old Town