The summer of 2026 marks ten years since April Farms was established. In some ways, it feels like a lifetime ago. In others, it seems like just yesterday that this adventure began.
The early years were filled with learning—some lessons came easily, and others… not so much.
Raising livestock was certainly an adventure, but it turned out to be more work than reward. Our three Nigerian Dwarf goats were lovable little troublemakers. They cried endlessly for grain, refused to eat the grass they were supposed to enjoy, and were expert escape artists. They seemed to delight in making me chase them around the farm. I always said I would never chase an animal, so eventually they found a wonderful new home in Washington.
Then there were the chickens and ducks. Yes, they can live together peacefully—but they definitely have different personalities. Chickens spend their days happily scratching for bugs and taking delicate sips of fresh water. Ducks, on the other hand, seem to believe their life’s purpose is to turn every clean water bucket into a muddy mess. Fresh water? “Everybody in!” they seem to shout.
Turkeys were an entirely different story—and probably my favorite farmyard bird. They stroll around the farm with a regal confidence, paying little attention to the smaller birds. Yet the moment I arrive, they’re running to greet me, gobbling all the way and even chasing my car up the driveway. They love a gentle scratch down their back feathers. And where do you usually find them on a hot summer day? Standing happily in the same muddy water the ducks have already claimed… while the chickens look on in complete disgust.
After a few years with livestock—and several heartbreaking losses to predators—I realized that perhaps my purpose wasn’t to attract predators to the farm. It was time for a new direction.
Over the years, we’ve thinned many of our orchard trees to improve air circulation and help them thrive. Today, they’re beautifully shaped and produce an abundance of fruit each season, which we’re grateful to share with our community and their livestock.
The lavender fields have grown and changed as well. Our second field has matured into nearly 200 beautiful ‘Super’ lavender plants, which we harvest and distill into the sweet essential oil used in all of our handcrafted products. Watching these plants bloom together is one of the greatest rewards of summer. They’ve become so large, however, that harvesting has become quite the challenge! In the future, we plan to replant them with wider spacing and grassy walkways between the rows, creating a cleaner, more natural look while making it easier to harvest fresh bouquets and gather lavender at the end of the season.
Our lower lavender field also underwent a major reconstruction in 2025 after we experienced significant plant loss. Whether it was the varieties we chose or simply too much moisture from our Oregon weather, we were reminded once again that lavender doesn’t like wet feet.
We rebuilt the field with raised mounds and replanted half of it with Lavandula angustifolia (English or true lavender), considered the gold standard for culinary lavender. Today you’ll find ‘Melissa,’ ‘Hidcote,’ and ‘Royal Velvet’ growing there. We also continue to grow Lavandula × intermedia varieties, including ‘Grosso,’ ‘Gros Bleu,’ and, of course, our favorite, ‘Super.’ Over the next few years, we plan to renovate the remaining half of the field as well.
Our products have evolved alongside the farm. Over the years we’ve refined our collection to focus on products that customers return for again and again.
One of our most-loved products is Save Our Skin, developed by my daughter and product designer, Jillian. She truly hit the bullseye. Made with a handful of nourishing, all-natural ingredients, Save Our Skin softens, protects, and helps restore dry, damaged skin. Its success inspired us to create Save Our Skin Face, specially formulated with the same gentle ingredients for the more delicate skin on your face.
Another customer favorite is our goat’s milk lavender soap. Rich, creamy, and beautifully decorated with bee-inspired designs, it’s made with nourishing goat’s milk and our own lavender essential oil to leave your skin feeling soft while surrounding you with the calming scent of lavender.
One of our newest additions is our lavender-peppermint hand lotion. It’s become a favorite for everyday use, combining the soothing aroma of lavender with the refreshing lift of peppermint—a perfect little moment of self-care whenever you need it.
Looking back over these first ten years, April Farms has become so much more than a lavender farm. It’s been a journey filled with hard work, unexpected lessons, laughter, and countless blessings. Along the way we’ve met wonderful people who have encouraged us, inspired us, and helped shape the vision for what April Farms has become.
Our hope has always been to create a place where people can slow down, breathe deeply, sit beneath the shade of the fruit trees, and simply enjoy the beauty around them. If you leave feeling a little more peaceful than when you arrived, then we’ve accomplished exactly what we hoped these first ten years would become.
Here’s to the next decade in bloom.