Two Sisters Lavender Farm

This past Sunday I was very excited to spend the afternoon at the Two Sisters Lavender Farm! Imagine a warm breeze, summer birds chirping, sweet lemonade and the relaxing smell of lavender growing in rows... it's a little piece of paradise on the prairie! For the past couple summers, my husband Chris and I make it one of our dates to go to this lavender farm and pick bundles of fresh lavender to dry for our favorite summer drink - lavender infused iced tea! We have enough to enjoy through the winter and some extra for lavender sachets! This spring we met the owner of Two Sisters Farm, Jean Howard at our local farmer's market. She graciously invited us out to her farm for a U-Pick Day! Join me as we get to know Jean and her lovely farm!

This beautiful piece of Illinois farmland belonged to Jean's great-grandpa who purchased it for his family farm in the 1880's. Fueled by a love of nature and a desire to preserve history, Ms. Howard kept a piece of this family farm to be experienced for decades to come! She named it Two Sisters to commemorate that she and her sister, Mary are the last of the Howard family lineage. Although this sweet country barn looks like it has been here for generations, it is actually a reproduction that Jean's husband built for her! He consulted old pictures of barns and of a one room school house that was nearby when he designed the barn for Two Sisters. "It's a blend of an old barn, a school and a church!" explained Jean. The structure itself was newly constructed but the windows and doors are sturdy salvages that tell the story of years gone by.

Hundreds of hearty lavender plants have been lovingly planted and are used to create all of the goods that Jean crafts by hand. Her barn brims with lavender soaps, bath salts, sachets, infused-oil, lip balm and my very favorite - lavender spritz for misting on bedding and clean laundry! Ms. Howard's hope for Two Sisters Lavender Farm is to allow the beauty of nature thrive and to educate others on the joy of country living! One day she dreams of expanding her business to include mail-order lavender so that anyone can enjoy these wonderful herbs from anywhere in the world! To learn more about the farm, visit them on Facebook at Two Sisters Lavender.