One-derings

Photos by Sybilika Storie

Clarksville, Ohio—For fans of all things lavender, this farm is worth a day trip. Co-founded in 2008 and family run by sisters Kim Benz and Amy Farr, One-derings Lavender Farm in Clinton County, OH, grows and harvests thousands of English lavender plants every year.

Fresh, fragrant, and floral, peak season (June and July) invites us to behold rows of luscious lavender in bloom. Farm guests hand-pick bouquets to take home, and some enjoy Benz’s wreath-making classes, too. One-derings’ collection of lavender-infused natural products—from lotions to candles—keeps visitors coming back to the farm’s cottage store onsite, as well as to their weekend display at Findlay Market’s farm shed. (Find farm-visit reservations, class registration, and online ordering on their website.)

The sisters didn’t set out to farm lavender. But a mutual love of gardening, deep knowledge of product development, and strong bonds to their family’s property (and a whole lot of lavender!) all aligned with their mother’s passing in 2008. It was an opportunity to turn toward their families and to grieve, grow, and process life’s changing landscape.

“For Amy and I, it’s always been about growing and nurturing beautiful things,” Benz says. “It’s centered us to deal with our lives and careers.”

Previously chemical engineers at Procter & Gamble, Benz and Farr cultivated the business of lavender farming quite naturally. And they keep moving it forward, partnering with and teaching farmers, and running a wholesale operation that sells 75% of the annual crop to other businesses. Now, the fruits of their labor are a must-see for any lavender lover in the Midwest.

Even in spite of the two grueling months each year, Benz says they’ll continue to farm lavender. “As long as we have our health …” she says, instantly acknowledging the farm is, after all, “how we keep it.”

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One-derings Lavender Farm
2195 S. Clarksville Rd., Clarksville, OH
937.725.0830