Essentially Lavender – A Hidden Gem in South Bruce

Nestled off Concession 10, Cathy and Bill Kirk's ‘hidden gem’ of South Bruce, a lush farm known as Essentially Lavender, decorates the landscape with hues of purple and provides a unique agri-tourism experience for groups and individuals alike.

The Kirks explain that their motivation to start Essentially Lavender began in 2018 with a goal to start small-scale sustainable farming that fit their passion for horticulture and caring for animals.

The Kirks started the nearly 100-acre operation by sowing lavender plugs in the ground using the butt-end of a hockey stick. Since beginning operations six years ago the farm has grown to include an estimated 8,000 lavender plants of various species. On a tour of the farm one may hear the buzz of busy bees, find companionship from a group of adventurous kittens, see calm ducks on a pond, take in the scenic view over a picnic, become relaxed in the aroma of the lavender and much more according to Cathy and Bill. An example the Kirks find best represents the farm atmosphere is the feeling of serenity they had when stumbling upon a young fawn calmly sleeping between the rows of lavender.

The Kirks discuss how the secluded venue encourages a peaceful and wholesome experience.

“We kind of have an ideal property for that. When you come in, if it wasn’t for the sign, you wouldn’t know this is a lavender farm. A lot of lavender farms you can see it from the road, this is not one of those,” said Cathy.

Essentially Lavender's, Lavender Field

The Kirks have ten events planned for Summer 2024 and offers tours and bunkie rentals throughout the summer. They look to provide events that use local resources and align with the sustainable, healthy-living culture the business represents. Some of these events include yoga, dinners, picnics, retreats and more.

Cathy and Bill explained they are driving a growth of events, products and general attendance by building local relationships.

“Doing the events with local partners is important to us,” Cathy said. “We try to keep things as local as we can. South Bruce isn’t big; there’s not a lot of people but it’s surprising in the [local] talent, businesses and resources that we’ve been able to tap into.”

Cathy and Bill take the onus upon themselves to provide meaningful work experiences, and take the role of educator, for the high-school or post-secondary students they hire over the summer. That relationship goes both ways, they said, as they now carry some products at the recommendation of their summer students.

Lavender-based products developed for sale in the Essentially Lavender boutique are all made with lavender harvested and processed on-site. Some popular products include soaps, oils, sprays, balms, and more.

The Kirks describe their fortune in finding the horse farm at 1379 Concession 10, after a prolonged search without finding the property that spoke to them both.

“This property ticked off everything on our unwritten list,” Bill said. We were very fortunate, we inherited very good infrastructure.”

Essentially Lavender's Boutique Bill (left) and Cathy (right) Kirk at the Essentially Lavender boutique.

Infrastructure and some aesthetics of the horse farm remain within Essentially Lavender today that Cathy and Bill say add to the charm and aesthetic of the property. An example they point to is how they renovated the horse barn into the Essentially Lavender boutique storefront and a multi-purpose hall.

Be sure to check out the Essentially Lavender, lavender farm, this summer by attending a drop-in tour, stay a night in one of the bunkies visit their website at www.essentiallylavender.ca or attend one of the various events such as the Flavours of South Bruce scheduled July 14.

This article is part of an ongoing Community Revitalization series initiated by the Municipality of South Bruce