Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Leavitt.
Hi Erin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The story of our lavender farm begins with the land. This area was a rock quarry a hundred years ago. But before that it was where Indigenous people came to gather flint and make their weapons and tools. My father came here often as a child to look for arrowheads and to dream of owning some land like this. In 1955 he bought this 130 acre tract which he eventually grew to a 500 acre cattle ranch.
My husband, Richard, and I decided to plant and sell lavender as a way to keep some of the land in the family. I had opened and operated gift stores in the past and he was a carpenter/contractor. We had been flipping houses for years so we thought “How hard could it be?” We had no idea but we took a leap of faith and here we are 8 years later. We fenced in 10 acres and built the store with shipping containers. We planted 2000 lavender plants on 2 acres and learned that lavender likes sandy, rocky soil.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Our agritourism business has grown every year but there have been ups and downs. We had to cancel our first lavender festival in 2020 due to covid. The next year we had the Big Freeze and lost all 2000 plants.
We replanted but lost all 2000 plants again due to freezes the next year. Now we have fewer plants so that we can cover them when we need to.
The best part of the business is the delight expressed by our customers. We don’t charge an entrance fee and dogs are welcome. People love to get lavender ice cream and sit under the 300-year-old live oak tree, enjoying the field. In the spring and summer we have u-pick lavender and other flowers. There is live music on the weekends at our stage in the spring.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Richard is the farmer and is always talking to people about the best ways to grow lavender. We often have groups of homeschoolers or buses from assisted living places or ag students that come to hear about what we are doing here.
I make a lot of the products: soap, candles, tallow face creams, lip balms, CBD lotions and salves, and more. My team makes jewelry, suncatchers, ornaments, etc.
Our dog, Piper, has been our greeter since we opened.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
People often say the place has good vibes. You can drive all across Texas and everything is private land. We have opened ours to the public for free. Its very pretty land with lots of wildflowers, colorful murals, and beautiful oak trees, in addition to the lavender, sunflowers, Zinnias, and other colorful flowers.
The store is unique not only in the handmade, aromatic products, but also in the handpainted displays. Most of them are “rescued” and repurposed furniture. The shipping container building with its big porches is very different from other stores.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Lulinglavenderfields.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/lulinglavenderfields
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lulinglavender/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lulinglavenderfields.com
