6 Michigan lavender farms to visit for beautiful views, fragrant fields

Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·3 min read

Across Michigan, lavender farms offer visitors a chance to walk through fragrant fields, cut a bundle of their own and shop for lavender products, like honey, soaps and candles.

Farms throughout the state also offer tours and other experiences, such as yoga, live music and workshops. There are also upcoming lavender festivals. For those looking to visit a lavender farm this summer, here are six from across the state to check out:

Shades of Lavender Farm

Anthony Tran, 42, owner of Shades of Lavender Farm in Mattawan, cuts lavender on Sunday, June 16, 2024. Visitors to the farm can walk through lavender fields, cut their own bundles and shop for lavender products like soaps, lotions and candles.
Anthony Tran, 42, owner of Shades of Lavender Farm in Mattawan, cuts lavender on Sunday, June 16, 2024. Visitors to the farm can walk through lavender fields, cut their own bundles and shop for lavender products like soaps, lotions and candles.

At Shades of Lavender Farm in Mattawan, visitors can walk through the fields of lavender, cut their own for $6 a bundle and shop for products like soaps, lotions and candles, said owner Anthony Tran, who bought the farm in 2021. He said the farm has roughly 1,800 lavender plants and he has hung about 30 hammocks for visitors to enjoy in the property's white pine forest. "It is no small hammocking thing. We had a few here and there and then I think I had like 10 last year," Tran said. "Well, this year, we went all out." Shades of Lavender Farm is located at 47222 24th St. in Mattawan. For more information, go to www.shadesoflavenderfarm.com.

Indigo Lavender Farms

Indigo Lavender Farms in Imlay City grows nine different varieties of lavender in six fields on the more than 50-acre property, said owner Tricia Dennis. They started planting lavender in 2015 and she said there are now about 14,000 plants. "There's so many plants, just rows and rows of lavender," Dennis said. She added that visitors can "kind of just immerse themselves and, you know, be with nature, get out of the city." She said the farm also grows other cut flowers and hosts events, including the upcoming Lavender Daze festival July 19-21. Indigo Lavender Farms is located at 631 N. Van Dyke Road. in Imlay City. For more information, including farm admission costs, go to www.indigolavender.com.

A butterfly takes flight after pollinating lavender at Shades of Lavender Farm in Mattawan on Sunday, June 16, 2024. The farm is open to the public and visitors can walk through lavender fields, cut their own bundles and shop for lavender products like soaps, lotions and candles.
A butterfly takes flight after pollinating lavender at Shades of Lavender Farm in Mattawan on Sunday, June 16, 2024. The farm is open to the public and visitors can walk through lavender fields, cut their own bundles and shop for lavender products like soaps, lotions and candles.

Lavender Hill Farm

Lavender Hill Farm, located between Boyne City, Charlevoix and Petoskey, grows 30 different varieties and has 13,000 plants. The farm, owned by Bill and Erin Mansfield and Rita Robbins, also offers tours, workshops, yoga and holds a concert series. It's also a venue for events like weddings, rehearsal dinners and birthday parties. "What we really are is an agritourism destination," Bill Mansfield said. The address for Lavender Hill Farm is 7354 Horton Bay Road N, Boyne City. For more information, go to www.lavenderhillfarm.com.

Lavender Lane Farm

At Lavender Lane Farm in Milan, there are about 10,000 plants and they make more than 100 different products, said owner Joe Pusta, who started the farm with his wife, Courtney, in 2016. He said the farm plans to hold its seventh annual Lavender Harvest Festival July 13-14. Lavender Lane Farm is located at 12040 Plank Road in Milan and has a gift shop on-site. The couple also runs a retail store called Lavender Lane on Main, which is located at 12 E. Main St. in downtown Milan and open year-round. For more information, including details about the festival, go to www.lavenderlanemi.com.

Sixteen Sprigs Lavender Farm

A bee pollinates lavender at Shades of Lavender Farm in Mattawan on Sunday, June 16, 2024. The farm is open to the public and visitors can walk through lavender fields, cut their own bundles and shop for lavender products like soaps, lotions and candles.
A bee pollinates lavender at Shades of Lavender Farm in Mattawan on Sunday, June 16, 2024. The farm is open to the public and visitors can walk through lavender fields, cut their own bundles and shop for lavender products like soaps, lotions and candles.

Sixteen Sprigs Lavender Farm has a farm in Alma and a smaller garden in Lansing, said owner Wynne Wright, a retired associate professor from Michigan State University who said she has been studying women in agriculture for 30 years. According to the farm’s website, it offers tours and other experiences, such as yoga. The farm in Alma is located at 4851 N. State Road and the garden in Lansing is located at 1211 Clark St., according to the website. For more information, go to www.sixteensprigs.org.

McCormick Farmz

McCormick Farmz in Wolverine specializes in finished culinary lavender products, like lavender balsamic vinegars and lavender pepper, said owner Dawn McCormick. The farm is also home to The Northern Michigan Lavender Festival, which will be held July 20 and feature four farms, McCormick said. The farm is located at 4118 Lance Lake Road in Wolverine. McCormick said the farm will be open Saturdays, beginning July 6. For more information, go to www.mccormickfarmz.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lavender farms across Michigan to visit for views, aromas, serenity