We were recently asked some questions for a research project and thought we'd share our responses in case others can benefit from them as well.

Q: Do you have a lot of success with lavender in this climate? Are the species you deal with good for Kentucky's climate and are they good producers?

A: Lavender is not well suited for Kentucky's climate. We can have rough winters and very wet springs, as well as high humidity. Those three things - ice, water, and humidity - are three of the things lavender hates most. However, many farms have found that they can successfully grow lavender here. Most of what we have done in the past has been trial and error. Growers in our area have to change their mindset in terms of the size of crop, as well as lifespan of the plants. It seems that with proper soil amendment and good luck when it comes to weather, plants in our area may last between five and eight years, but we have many challenges that others don't face. Seeing as how lavender is really just now being planted in Kentucky, we also have the chance to learn a lot about the crop and its potential here.

In 2013, we chose our first two varieties because they are popular varieties (Munstead, an English, also known as augustofolia, and Grosso, a Lavandula x intermedia) and are both fairly hearty to our climate. We could also source them locally. That turned out to be a bit of an issue, but we have grown and learned a lot since that our first planting! Many varieties we now plant are trails that we source from reputable growers across the nation. That's one reason we don't plant large plots, since we are unsure what will take to our climate and will last over the winter. What works well here may not work well 60 miles down the road. Each little microclimate is unique.

Q: Do you distill your own oil?

A: We do not currently distill our own oil. It takes a LOT of lavender to produce even a small amount of oil. We have around 600 plants currently. We do have plans to purchase a small still so we can do demonstrations on how to distill oil in the future.

Q: Do you profit as a tourist destination?

A: Many people find out about us and envision acres and acres of purple. That is not reality in Kentucky! We have about 600 plants. Prior to this year, we had them planted in long rows. Earlier this year, we planted several new plants and made our lower "field" a bit more square, with shorter rows. We are hoping by planting this way, the plants will be a bit more "showy" for guests. Most people, however, understand that we are trying to do something that is difficult and unique and they are understanding when they come out and realize our farm is not of a commercial farm scale like you'd find in Washington State or France. After all, 600 lavender plants is still stunning!

We do host events on the farm. That has been a big draw for us for sure. Lots of people want to see the lavender in bloom. Our season only lasts between four to six weeks, so you can imagine it is absolutely crazy during that time! My mom (Mary) and I (Allison) do this together pretty much on our own. I have two small kids as well. We try to balance work and life as much as we can, so our growth has been slow and steady instead of jumping in and planting an unmanageable amount of plants! We are actually really glad we started slow, because we've run into problems with our soil (that initial testing couldn't detect), plant issues, bad weather, and much more. We have also learned so much from the United States Lavenders Growers Association and other local lavender farmers. In our business, it truly has been community over competition for us. Other growers not only share knowledge and expertise, but sell products to each other, and support and encourage one another. We sure appreciate that aspect of this business!

Q: Do you have any suggestions for future lavender farmers?

A: My advice would be three-fold:

• Be realistic. This is harder than mom or I ever imagined. Not only physically harder, but emotionally and mentally too. It's hard not to compare what others are doing and try to take on too much. Running a business like this is hard. We are managing a crop, planning events, filing paperwork, tracking invoices, marketing our farm and products, making products, building the website, answering questions, filing taxes, and SO MUCH MORE! We now have a bit of help with some of that, but that means we have to turn more profit. Along those lines, I began paying myself a really meager amount in January 2018. Mom still hasn't paid herself and neither of us paid ourselves anything from 2013-2018. Clearly, we aren't doing this for the money! So, be realistic about what you can make doing something like this as well. It's a lot of hours for not much return. With that said, though, the return has been more than monetary. We have been able to do this together, which is priceless. In addition, we've been able to share our farm with others, which is certainly meaningful to us as well. We honestly love every minute of this, which is why we keep plugging along.
• DO YOUR RESEARCH and have a long-term plan!!! I cannot stress this enough. We really didn't do too much of either and we regret it. We did research, but we weren't even aware of the USLGA or other lavender farms nearby when we started. We visited with one farm in Kentucky back then, but there are several others we've come to know. We also wish we'd amended our soil more for those first plantings. For example, we really didn't know much about the root disease called Phytophthora. It's wrecking havoc on lavender farms across the nation, and we are fighting it as well. If we'd known to get plants tested upon arrival, we could've perhaps stopped it from invading our soil. We've come to find out, though, that the disease also thrives in wet conditions, so, again, weather (which is far beyond our control) also plays a heavy hand in the disease.
  
• Have fun.  We have developed a passion for what we're doing. Our agricultural roots run very deep and this has allowed us to share our story on a larger platform than we ever thought possible. This is hard and there are lots of heartaches involved, but we wouldn't change this journey for anything.

We are so excited for the 2018 Tea on the Farm! This year, we'll be having two 11 a.m. seatings for the event. One on May 19 and one on June 2.

For the past two years, we've felt like our English lavender varieties bloomed earlier than our on-farm teas, so this year, we decided to move it up to capture the peak blooms of those varieties (mainly Sachet, Munstead). Our French varieties (Grosso and Sharon Roberts) are later blooming, so hopefully they will follow the same pattern as past years and be perfect for the June 2 seating.

We are proud to partner with Expressions Tea and Gifts again this year for a SUPERB menu!

Lavender Tea at The Lavender Farm at Woodstock
May 19 @ 11 a.m.
June 2 @ 11 a.m.

Menu:

• Auberge French Lavender Marinated Beef Wellingtons with Roasted Shallot Port Demi Sauce
• Red quinoa and pineapple Garden Salad in Frico Cups with Lavender-Agave-Citrus Vinaigrette
• Lavender Basil Pesto Infused Chicken Roulade with Roasted Garlic Béchamel Sauce
• Mini Lemon-Lavender Bundt Cakes with Citrus Whipped Cream
• Double Chocolate Lavender Brownies with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and Lavender Honey Ganache

For the past two years, our Tea on the Farm events have sold out quickly! You can purchase tickets now by visiting our store: https://www.kylavender.com/store/c4/tickets.

In addition to the teas, we are planning our second annual "You Cut" for Memorial Day weekend! In addition to being able to cut your own bundle, we are working hard on lining up a lavender festival for that Saturday, May 26. Watch our Facebook or Instagram pages to find out more as details become available. And...we're planning to nearly DOUBLE the number of plants we have in the ground this spring (we'll be doing a call for volunteer planters if you're interested in learning about growing lavender too!).

Now we just hope and pray Mother Nature is kind to us again this winter and these babies bloom beautifully again in 2018!

It's going to be busy around the farm in 2018. We look forward to seeing you in the field!

In Kentucky, lavender has a pretty short bloom time. On our farm, the blooms have opened, the bees have sucked out all the wonderful nectar they could, and the buds are turning brown. They still have quite a wonderful scent and we will soon be cutting what remains to use in our products. If you attended our tea, or came for our first "you cut" event, we hope you have enjoyed your beautiful, fresh lavender. If you haven't already, it's probably time to hang it upside down to let it dry out. Once it is dry, you can still enjoy it for many months! Dried lavender is not only beautiful, but also useful! Here are some of our top ideas for using dried lavender.

1. Turn your dried lavender bundle into a focal point in your home by simply putting it in a cute clear or painted mason jar tied with string or raffia. It's simple and perfect for bringing a touch of early summer into your home. You can lightly rub the buds between your fingers to reinvigorate the fresh lavender scent! (photo from pinterest).
2. Separate your dried lavender and tie it around a pillar candle. This would be so pretty on a long farmhouse table with several sizes of candles! (photo from pinterest).


3. Once your lavender has dried, you can easily debud it by using your hands. Just firmly (but not too firmly) rotate a small amount between your palms. Be sure you are holding it over a box or some type of container. Once debudded, you can put the dried buds in a small sack and store them in your drawers, or use them in a homemade recipe, like bath salt.

4. Wear it! Did you know lavender jewelry is a thing? It is! These little vials are just so cute and I can only imagine how nice it would smell to open up the lid and take in a deep breath of lavender when stress or headaches hit!

5. Make something to help you remember your time at The Lavender Farm at Woodstock! Use buds from your visit to fill an empty ornament you can hang each year on your Christmas tree. We do this with places we've visited and each year I love unwrapping each ornament and reliving the memories that come with it. A lavender ornament would be a great addition to your tree.

6. If you have culinary lavender, try a shortbread cookie recipe or  lavender ice cream for a unique summer treat that is sure to wow your family or your guests!

7. Make your own tincture. While you may not have enough buds, not to mention the expensive equipment, needed to distill lavender essential oil, you can still make a tincture from your buds. Just crush your buds and place them in a tall bottle. You can then fill the bottle with vodka, witch hazel or lightly warmed oil (like almond, olive or sunflower) and let it sit for about 7 to 10 days. The longer it sits, the stronger the smell! After the desired amount of time, remove the buds and stalks and strain the oil through a cheesecloth. You can use the tincture in cleaning products, your bath or many other things.
We'd love to hear what you're crafting with your dried lavender. Please drop us a note to let us know, or better yet, share a photo with us on Instagram or Facebook. We love hearing from all you fellow lavender lovers!
With love,
Allison

I sat in my chair
unable to move
as if a twitch of my hand
or blink of my eye would
end it.
 
The moving cars
the city lights
blurred together like lines
in an out-of-focus picture.
 
The calmness of land,
the peaceful sound of
leaves crunching, gates opening,
cattle bawling
quieted my mind.
 
The "objective" he said.
 
Somewhere among the years
we lost it. Like a kite string
let go by a three year old child
who cried then moved on to
another, completely
unaware what was gone.
 
We lost the somewhere and replaced
it with the nowhere.
Why live among the bees, the snakes,
the cattle,
when you can live among the buildings,
the noise, the conveniences.
 
It's gone. It's lost.
Can we get it back? Do we care?
 
But, nowhere is somewhere to me.

Last week, I had the privilege of viewing a screening of "Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry" at Lindsey Wilson College. If you don't know anything about Wendell Berry, you can find more here, but I can tell you that he is one of the most well-known agriculture poets and writers. He is a former professor who eventually returned home to his farm in Henry County, Kentucky, to work the land and raise his family. He's written numerous novels, poems, articles and more, most based around the defense of the family farm, traditional ways of life, and agriculture. The National Endowment for the Humanities states, "(Wendell Berry) is the sum of his beliefs. And those beliefs arise from a longstanding tradition most fully expressed in the American family farm, a self-sustaining economic enterprise that reinforced familial bonds and human obligations to the natural environment."
 
Berry has always been an advocate for the family farm and I was certainly moved by the film. (You can find the very moving intro on Facebook here...watch it...it's worth your time, I promise!)


 
As I watched it, I became emotional. It was interesting to hear others comment on the cinematography of the film, or the sequence and editing, because I could not have cared less about the technical aspects of the documentary. What resonated with me was the essence of the film - the loss of respect for small farms, the cycle and struggle with farming, and even the loss of identity in our small towns and communities. I'm anxious for my parents to watch the film, having both grown up with agriculture playing a vital role in their lives and then spending their own adult lives dedicated to the farm.

Overall, three themes from the film stuck out to me.
 
First, the "objective." If you watch the opening few minutes of the film (here), you get it. While the city is great, and I certainly enjoy some of the conveniences of it, the poem challenges the typical things we work and strive toward. There's one particular quote that states something to the effect of putting ourselves in the "highest paying prisons." Wow. That made me stop to think. For so many, it's about the career ladder - better job, more money, more things. It's a cycle that is hard to stop. I fall victim of that thinking as well, but is there another way?
 
The second theme that stood out is the notion of how we have disrespected the vocation of farming and the rural way of life. It's something we've done to ourselves. We've stated that we live in the "middle of nowhere" and we've asked young people why they would want to stay in rural communities when the cities have so much more to offer. We've encouraged generations to do better than their parents, to educate themselves more, to buy bigger homes and have smaller families, and to take on jobs that don't take a physical toil on their bodies. Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge proponent in education, having spent much of my off-the-farm career in the field, and I will always value it. I'm not saying we should encourage people to drop out of school or not pursue higher degrees, but I am saying that there is real value in the vocation of agriculture and in working with your hands. I'm also saying that our rural communities are rare gems that should be cherished, grown, celebrated and held to tightly.
 
Last, and probably most saddening, was the theme of helplessness. I left the film falling more in love with my agricultural roots, but also feeling like I couldn't do anything to turn around this loss of land and loss of value in the family farm. While I'd love to turn my entire life on its head and become more of a true  small farmer, I really don't know how to do that. It's easy to dream about and think about, but it's hard to do. How do you invest in a traditional lifestyle on the farm, but still be mom, wife, and everything in between, as well as feed your family. Sure, I do a bit of it now, but it doesn't support my family and our daily financial needs.
 
Perhaps just sharing my raw thoughts, as I'm doing in this blog (and am pretty nervous to do, in fact), and exposing readers to the primal messages of the film, will do a tiny bit of educating. In turn, if those reading this will do the same, maybe we can make a difference. Can we can work toward a movement of appreciation - for the farmers around us, for local food and goods, for the land, and for those working to better our world?
 
I'm going to try. Will you join me?

I can't tell you the number of people who say, "Oh! A lavender farm! That must be so cool!" or "I've always wanted a lavender farm!"

While is is a pretty neat endeavor...and one that smells remarkable better than most typical "farm" smells - it is far from easy. Here are some things we wish we'd known before we began.

1. Plant on a hill.
Drainage is SO important for the life of lavender plants. The more hilly, rocky, slightly acidic soil you have, the better. Our soil drains fairly well, and most of our land is flat as a pancake, but we've had to amend our soil much more than anticipated.

2. Know about disease and test your plants.
While lavender is hardy and known to be resistent to many diseases, there's one that is taking many plants by storm. It's called Phytophthora and it can ruin your entire field and devastate a business. You can read more about it here. Unfortunately, we fear we may have it in our newest plants. We're sending them to UK for testing tomorrow. Be sure you're following our blog for results!

3. Have a plan.
See Jane. Jane has a business plan. Be like Jane.
See Mary and Allison. They have no business plan. Don't be like Mary and Allison.
Although I'm kidding (kind of), we didn't really know where we wanted to take this business when we started. We would have placed our plants in shorter, wider rows, anticipated for on-the-farm traffic, done better at preventative weeding, and done more research before throwing plants in the ground if we had to do it over. (A side note: KCARD is a free service in Kentucky that can help you think through some of these things! Find out more about them here).

4. Research which varieties do best in your climate. Know how you plan to use the plant.
There are a TON of different lavender varieties, but not all grow well in every environment. The two main groups are English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, and lavandins Lavandula x intermedia. We started out with two varieties, Munstead, which is a English lavender and a culinary lavender, and Grosso (fat spike), a lavandin.

5. It's a labor of love.
We love our little endeavour, but quickly realized that it's no easy task! Everything we've done has been labor-intensive. The planting, weeding, harvesting, drying, debudding, and more, has to be done by hand. It's been fun to get our families involved in every step of the process (although I'm not certain they would agree), and we hope to see the operation expand in the future, but it's certainly not a "plant it and they will grow" operation! Lavender doesn't really like Kentucky soil or weather, so we sometimes feel as if we are fighting a loosing battle, but don't worry...we'll keep on fighting it! We love sharing our passion with other lavender lovers out there!

What about you? Have you had success with your lavender plants? We're still learning too, so we'd love to hear about your successes or lessons learned.

It's Valentine's Day...the universal day of love, so we thought we'd share some of the top reasons we love lavender with you!


1. It's beautiful!
What is more breathtaking than looking out over lavender plants in bloom? We can't really think of anything! The fragrant purple blooms create a stark contrast to the green grass and blue skies of summer. We're already all googly-eyed just thinking about seeing our plants in bloom this year!

2. It smells heavenly!
While we've never actually smelled heaven, we can imagine it could smell a lot like a room filled with fresh cut lavender! (Okay, probably not, but you get the point). Lavender is probably most known for its smell and is widely believed to be known to increase romance (wink, wink!).

3. Lavender essential oil has some AMAZING properties!
While we can't legally claim healing properties, many essential oil experts report that not only does lavender help relax your body, but it also promotes sleep, reduces anxiety, and has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. It's great for keeping unwanted insects away, purifying the skin and air, and can even help you breathe better! Check out this article from organicfacts.net.

4. You can cook with it!
If you attended our 2016 Tea on the Farm, you know just EXACTLY how wonderful lavender-infused dishes can be! We were blown away by how chef Mete (our head chef for the tea) used culinary lavender throughout the menu. He's going to do it again this year (read the 2017 menu here), and I guarantee you'll go away with an increased desire to use more lavender in your kitchen! We'll do a blog post soon with some great lavender recipes.

5. You can enjoy lavender all year long!
Not only can dried lavender bundles be enjoyed all year, but you can also use oils, buds, stems and more to make wonderful, all-natural products that you can enjoy every day. Check out all of our all-natural, hand-crafted products here and let us know if there's something you'd like us to work on creating! (A foaming hand soap is next on our list)!

We met with the fine folks at Expressions Tea and Gifts yesterday to finalize the menus for the 2017 Tea on the Farm (purchase tickets here) and we are thrilled to announce a mouth-watering, lavender-infused menu that you won't get anywhere else! Chef Mete has created some masterpieces that we know you're going to love. If you're looking for a unique, on-farm experience in South Central Kentucky, THIS IS IT!

Update: ***BRUNCH is SOLD OUT****
Brunch @ 10:30 am ($30/pp) - -

• Swiss Chard – Lavender Ricotta Pie with Sausage Crust
  
• Breakfast Biscuit Quiche with Lavender Cream
• Mini Grilled Stuffed French Toast with Lavender-Citrus Mascarpone
• Lavender Cookies & Lavender-Berry Mini Trifles
• Earl Grey Lavender Tea & Lavender Lemonade

 
Dinner @ 6:00 pm ($45/pp)

• KY Proud Hot Brown with Local Turkey, White Cheddar and Lavender-Garlic Bechamel
• Grilled Chicken, Basil-Lavender Pesto and Provolone Panini with Lavender-Basil Focaccia Bread
• Lavender and Cabernet Braised Rib Sliders with Tart Cherry and Lavender Cole Slaw
• Lavender-Sweet Potato Crepes filled with Turkey, Cranberry Lavender Butter and Swiss Cheese and topped with Lavender Triple Cheese Sauce
• Grilled KY Butter Bundt Cake Slices with Mix Berry-Lavender Compote, Lavender Whipped Cream and Ganache
• Baklava with Lavender Butter and Lavender Honey
• Earl Grey Lavender Tea & Lavender Lemonade

You aren't going to want to miss this!!

.

Lots of people ask us how we got started and why we chose lavender. To explain, I'll have to go back a few years and start with one simple fact: We bought the farm.

That's pretty much it. My poor husband had no idea what he was getting into when we agreed that moving to my grandparent's home place was a good idea. It seemed like a great plan...buy a business (he's an Allstate agent), rent the home my grandparent's made their life in until things got settled and we knew we weren't going to go completely broke, and then see what happens. Go with the flow.

Sounds good? Right?

It did to us!

Until the point we moved to Somerset, I had been focused on climbing the career ladder. I loved my job in marketing and PR, but when our first child came along it was like I hit a "trump-size" wall (sorry...had to throw that in there). I no longer wanted to get my Ph.D., work 50-60 hours a week or live in the city. Instead, I longed for time at home with my little guy and a quieter life in a small town. Luckily, my sweet husband agreed. Although he really had no experience with traditional farming, he was raised on a few acres and also had an appreciation for country life. Things seemed to fall into place as we were given the opportunity to move into my grandparent's home, located just 13 country miles from my husband's office. At the time, my grandmother, who was 97, had to be cared for in a nursing facility and the house was sitting empty. We thought our move would be temporary, as we really didn't know what the future held for her or for us. In a shorter time than we expected, my grandmother (Mama as we called her) was called Home and we were given the opportunity to buy the house and about 8 acres around it.

Fast forward to this "calling" I had to do something with the land. I wanted to be a farmer, but I knew I didn't really want (or could) be a traditional farmer with row crops, cattle, etc. By this time, we had one small child and another on the way. I had a great part-time job in public relations and a photography business that kept my busy. But the desire was still there. Every few weeks, I'd call my dad (who farms 1,200 acres and is an agricultural genius) and tell him my latest ideas. I wanted to milk sheep, I said. (Silence from dad). I wanted to raise pigs, (More silence). I watched "Farm Kings" and wanted to raise chickens. (Can you guess his response?)

Then, my mom said, "Let's grow lavender!"

Sure!

"Let's grow lavender," I told my unsuspecting husband. (tee, hee, hee...)

And, that's how we started. We knew nothing, read lots, and threw some plants in the ground. We watered them with hope and began to figure out how many things we were doing wrong, typically a little too late. But, our plants thrived.

We planted some more. We started making products. We got licensed to sell products. We planted more. We pulled weeds, watched some plants die, planted more, learned more, experimented, wished we'd done things differently, realized we did some thing right...and so on.

Today, we have about 250 plants. Some look amazing. Others, not so much. We're still learning and growing, but we're loving our little adventure in non-traditional farming. Our hope is to share some of our struggles and successes with all the other lavender lovers out there through this blog. We'd love to hear from you, too! Drop us a note to say hello and follow along on our adventure!

-Allison