By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent MARTINSVILLE, Ohio — Kym Prell of Clarksville, Ohio loves any shade of purple. She has baskets, wheel barrels, pillow cases and flower pots decorated in this soothing shade. She even uses this herb in her cooking. It’s no wonder that she and her husband, Mike, are owners and operators of Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm.
“I’ve always loved lavender and it has so many health benefits,” said Kym, who is a licensed reflexologist. “It’s wonderful for aroma therapy reasons. It also helps you sleep and relax. You can use it in cooking as it helps your digestive system. It is a natural form of antiseptic.”
“It’s also a niche market that no one else was tapping into,” added Mike, a confessed computer guru.
The couple reside in the most rural part of Clinton County, tending to 20 acres. Ten acres on this certified organic farm are tillable, and four of those acres are dotted by 24 rows of lavender. Five acres remain woodland.
“We bought this farm in 2005 and replaced the corn and soybeans from the previous owner with one acre of lavender,” Kym said. “We have four acres of the perennial and when all is said and done all the land will hold lavender.”
So successful and attractive were the plants they decided to host their first annual Lavender Festival in 2009.
“That first festival attracted more than 1,000,” Mike said. “We offer free workshops and fun for the entire family.”
Both were born and raised in inner Cincinnati.
“Ever since we both were small children we wanted to live on a farm,” Mike said. “We’re both living our dreams.”
After clearing the land of corn and soybeans the couple amended the soil, using compost and soil from the nearby woods. They added sand and gravel to the mix.
“Lavender takes a lot of care,” Kym said. “It’s a lot of work for a herb whose flowers last roughly five weeks. We have nine varieties of lavender here on the farm and we don’t harvest everything off each bush. We let other buds come up naturally and provide guests with scissors so they can harvest their own.”
To successfully grow lavender the Prells suggest growing the plant in well-drained soil that has a loamy mix of sand and soil.
Composted manure should be added along with two hands full of gravel, a little lime and nitrogen starter fertilizer. They recommend using a plastic weed guard or oyster shell mulch to reduce weeding. Fertilize with nitrogen the first three years, then let the plant thrive on its own with just a little lime added each year.
“There’s lots to love about lavender,” Kym said. “There are no real pests, and deer don’t like lavender at all. Lavender can carry one type of disease, but it’s not around these parts. Lavender does better in a drought than having two months of water.”
Weed guards do much of the preventive work. Mike installed an underground irrigation system to make the watering chore easier.
“We invite people to our farm from June through August, and we like them to see the thousands of butterflies, bees and yellow jackets working in their nature to collect from our lavender,” Kym said.
So into lavender is this couple that they own a lavender gift shop on the premise, dedicated solely to items made and crafted with the herb itself. They also sell lavender-based products on the Internet at www.peacefulacreslavenderfarm.com
The second annual Lavender Festival will be held this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
A kids’ workshop will include a living history presentation, recycled terrariums, making of a giant slingshot, herb sachet making and more.
Festival entertainment for adults includes music from Native Americans, reflexology classes, intuitive readings, wreath making, yoga and dream catcher workshop.
The farm is located at 2391 Martinsville Road in Martinsville and can be reached at 513-322-2415. |
