By Matthew Avitabile
MIDDLEBURGH — Davy and Tracy Russell have built a following in Middleburgh, growing from a pop-up apothecary and metaphysical shop based out of Cohoes in 2020 and growing after a move to Middleburgh in 2023.
The shop includes a variety of goods such as quality tea, which became the main focus last year.
Davy said that Moon & Leaf Magic’s teas are “made with organic ingredients and premium-quality herbs.” The shop also carries a number of herbal tea blends, as well as green and black teas including a chai and a seasonal Earl Grey.)
Each tea is unique, said Davy, and he and his wife paid attention to three particular items:
First is the health and wellness benefits with “all of our teas made with herbs that have a wellness focus - calming, tummy comfort, focus and energy, hormone support, immune function, allergy defense, etc.”
Second is flavor, noting that “they can't just be healing teas, they also have to taste good and be an enjoyable, luxurious self-care indulgence!”
Third is color, with Davy stating that “our teas have to look pretty, too, whether it brews blue like our Moon Magic herbal tea blend, or has a delightful pops of color like our Earl's Garden blend with lavender, rose petals, and bright yellow calendula.”
Both Russells have backgrounds in holistic wellness and nutrition. Between 2009 and 2019 they ran a website about green smoothies and plant-based diets. They also published a book, The Best Green Smoothies On The Planet (BenBella, publisher), and created plant-based meal plans and led green smoothie challenges, reaching thousands of people worldwide.
Following the pandemic, the duo sought to move away from a solely online business. While operating on the internet had been very successful, “we felt disconnected from our local community. Moon & Leaf Magic was born from a desire to disconnect from the online world and re-connect with our local community, and to craft wellness products that we made by hand vs. digital/downloadable products that don't facilitate an in-person connection or build community in the same way.”
As the business grew, the Russells credited the support from Middleburgh and all of Schoharie County.
From last August to this August, Moon & Leaf Magic grew from six tea blends in one shop to 16 tea blends in 11 shops. More are being added monthly. The couple has also sold at a number of events, including at Middleburgh’s Fourth Friday Street Festivals.
“We feel supported and cheered on here, and we appreciate that so much!” said Davy.
Part of the enjoyment in running the business has been “coming up with new tea blends. I love the challenge of it, the trial and error, and the exhilaration of taking a sip of a blend that I worked on for days or sometimes weeks to find that it comes together and people love it when we taste test it,” said Davy.
The business allows the Russells to “connect to our community and build real-life, in-person connection after over a decade of being content creators in the online health and wellness space,” Davy said.
“This is the most rewarding aspect of our business right now - the people we meet, our loyal customers, and people we don't even know personally who share our posts and connect us to people,” he added.
There are challenges, including vending almost every weekend, even during winter. However, this model would likely still bring product to communities even with a storefront.
“As much as I love vending, especially at festivals, vending can take a toll when you do it full-time. It often means working long hours all week so that I can also work longer hours all weekend, and during particularly busy seasons (summers, holiday season), vending up to five days/week with no time off for weeks on end. This is why we are growing the wholesale side of our business, to take the pressure off of having to vend constantly,” Davy added.
However, the process is also rewarding, including making a number of valuable connections with customers and retail partners.
“As challenging as it can be to vend full time right now, the support we feel from the community makes all the hauling, setup/tear down, driving, and long hours outdoors in hot/humid sun, pouring rain, and even bitter cold and snow (Miracle on Main Street!) worthwhile and rewarding. I still love it!” Davy added.
As the business grows, the couple plans to create more tea blends, including some asked for by customers. Moon & Leaf Magic is also expanding its wholesale operation to get teas into more shops both within New York and beyond. The family is also rolling out new apothecary products such as a Root Revive Hair Serum.
There are no plans to open a brick and mortar tea shop, but the Russells plan to “expand our tea business to the point where we can move into our own production facility and create a job or two - keeping everything right here in Schoharie County.”
Davy said that he and his wife would love to source more herbs from Schoharie County and the state.
“While many of the herbs we use in our teas do not grow in this climate, some do, and I'd love to support some local farms that might already grow what we need to make our products,” he said.
Moon & Leaf Magic will be at a number of local events, including:
Dog Days of Summer (Middleburgh Winery) - August 16
Seward Farmers & Artisans Market -- Every other Wednesday through October (August dates - 13 & 27)
4th Friday Street Fest (Middleburgh) - August 22
Sunflower Festival at Empty Pockets Ranch (Cobleskill) - August 30 and 31
Gilboa Museum Psychic Fair (Gilboa) - September 14
Schoharie County Fall Festival (Old Stone Fort Museum) - Oct. 4
Timothy Murphy Fall Festival (Middleburgh) - Oct. 11
In addition, a number of storefronts carry Moon & Leaf Magic teas, including:
Middleburgh - Barber's Farmstand
Cobleskill - Carriage House Cafe & General Store (on the SUNY campus)
Esperance - The Shoppe of Curiosities (152 Main St. Esperance)
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