Indiana U-Pick Lavender Farms Cultivate Calm
Visiting an Indiana lavender farm is the ultimate escape, as there are few scents more soothing than this purple perennial. Studies have even tied lavender to health benefits including reduced anxiety, improved sleep and increased relaxation.
Indiana is home to a number of lavender farms welcoming visitors to mosey through their fields, have a picnic and pick their own lavender bouquets to take home.
This article first appeared in My Indiana Home.
Aroma Acres
When driving through New Paris, don’t be surprised if you catch a sweet floral scent tickling your nose. Just south of town is Aroma Acres, specializing in lavender, wildflowers and microgreens.
The farm, run by Nancy and Rich Borkholder alongside daughter Caryn, welcomes the public to its lavender field from late June through early October. During this time, the U-pick farm invites visitors to create lavender bouquets or enjoy a picnic while relaxing between rows of fragrant lavender blooms and wildflowers.
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The farm sells an exciting array of lavender-infused products, including peach jam, hydrosol, blueberry jam, syrup, facial oil and more. Visitors can also enjoy a refreshing cup of lavender lemonade, available for purchase in the flower barn.
“We distill the lavender and use the oil in our products, and it can be used in many ways,” says Nancy Borkholder, adding the hydrosol helps with ailments such as sunburn and bug bites, and it’s good for cleaning and refreshing linens.
Plus, Aroma Acres hosts several events throughout the season, including lavender wreath-making workshops.
“I think one of the most missed things that everyone always regrets is not signing up for the lavender wreath workshop because we open that up early for people to gift that for the holidays,” Borkholder says.
Environmental stewardship is important for the Borkholders, as they are committed to the health and wellness of their community and the land. One of the tactics they use is cover cropping, which improves soil quality and supports pollinators.
Speaking of pollinators, Aroma Acres lavender fields buzz with these important insects, which are drawn to their scent.
“Everyone’s always amazed at how friendly the bees are here and how large the butterflies are that visit,” Borkholder says.
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Dollie’s Farm
A few hours south in Franklin, Dollie’s Farm boasts a 5-acre spread of lavender and wildflower fields. Like Aroma Acres, Dollie’s Farm welcomes visitors for picturesque picnics in the flower fields and U-pick lavender opportunities from June through September.
Dollie’s sells a variety of lavender-based products including lotion, roll-on essential oil, dishwashing liquid soap, linen spray, a face-care line and more. For visitors seeking an extra dose of zen, Dollie’s offers lavender massages inside a private tent in the lavender field.
“We love our lavender product line; we love our lavender and the smell of lavender,” says owner Tricia Wilson, who runs the farm with her husband, Tim.
Wilson herself has a lot of memories on the farm. She grew up there, and Dollie’s sits on land farmed by her family for seven generations. The name pays homage to her great-grandmother, Dollie, who surprised her husband by secretly purchasing an additional 40 acres to add to their farm in the 1930s. She used the money she had saved up by selling eggs from her 100 chickens.
“The thing that probably makes Dollie’s unique is Dollie,” Wilson says. “Even our logo is her signature off of their marriage license from 1899.”
Events at Dollie’s include the Lavender Extravaganza, kid-themed Pick and Picnic With the Princesses featuring favorites such as Snow White and Cinderella, sunset events over the flower fields, educational tours, and private and public parties.
“We’ve enjoyed sharing our farm with other families,” Wilson says. “Dollie’s is about helping other people build their own memories together here on the farm. We work very, very hard for our guests to know that we’re glad they’re here.”