If your mind won't quiet down at night and anxiety has become your unwanted bedtime companion, you're dealing with something a lot of people don't talk about enough. We grow lavender for a living, and we'll tell you straight, it's not a cure. But the research behind it is more interesting than people often expect. SLEEP Lying awake, restless, mind running, lavender has been studied specifically for this. Lavender has a long history as a natural sleep remedy, and it's one of the few where...

After years of working this land, cutting lavender, shoveling compost, mowing paths, tending the animals, I've come to believe that the right shoes are one of the most underrated decisions you make on a farm. Most people dress the part above the waist. They wear gloves, hats, and long sleeves. But the feet? Usually an afterthought. Old sneakers, flip flops in a hurry, or whatever was closest to the door. I've done it too. And I've paid for it. Footwear is a tool, and it should be chosen with...

Spring is when I give my lavender its first proper cut of the year. Once I see fresh green growth coming in at the base, I know it’s time to get to work. Start With What’s Alive I don’t cut into the old woody part of the plant. Lavender doesn’t grow back well from that. I stay just above it, where the stems are still soft and green. From there, I leave 5 inches of green on the plant and cut off everything else. Enough to keep the plant compact and encourage new shoots. Keeping the Shape I...