Our Story

Welcome to Pause Lavender Farm, a certified Michigan small-scale nursery in Rapid River on the beautiful Stonington Peninsula in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Founded in 2019 as Delta County's first lavender farm, Pause Lavender Farm is built on the belief that growing plants should enrich both the landscape and the people who care for it.

Where It All Began

Long before lavender became part of my life, flowers were.

Growing up, our mother transformed our home and gardens into living works of art. Every season brought new colors, textures, and combinations that looked as though they belonged in a magazine. Even today, she continues to create gardens that make you stop, slow down, and simply take them in.

Being surrounded by that beauty shaped me more than I realized at the time.

Plants aren't just something I grow. They've always been part of how I slow down, reconnect with nature, and feel at home.

Looking back, it isn't surprising that plants became part of my life. What surprised me was where they would eventually lead.

A Different Way of Living

Pause Lavender Farm wasn't created on a whim.

Moving to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, purchasing this property, and planting lavender weren't separate decisions. They were all part of one deliberate lifestyle change.

For years, I studied lavender, its growing habits, the world's best lavender regions, their climate, rainfall, soils, and growing conditions. Data. Data. Data. Charts. Charts. Charts. I compared them with Delta County in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and became convinced that, with the right varieties and carefully prepared Mediterranean-inspired growing conditions, lavender could thrive here.

At the same time, I spent years searching for the right property in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, somewhere close to family, surrounded by nature, and large enough to become the home of Pause Lavender Farm. To make that possible, I worked two jobs and saved toward a place where I could build something for the long term.

Today, one of my favorite parts of the day is simply walking through the garden. The fragrance drifts on the breeze, bees and butterflies move from bloom to bloom, birds provide the soundtrack, and the lavender sways gently in the wind.

Every so often, a curious young fawn wanders into the garden, cautiously investigates the unfamiliar lavender, gives it one uncertain sniff, and quietly decides it isn't worth eating after all.

It still makes me smile.

Letting the Land Lead

When I first planted lavender, I expected to keep adding more sections each year, but every walk of the property changed my thinking. 

Every potential garden seemed to have a reason to remain exactly as it was.

This clearing had become a deer bedding area.

Another meadow was where fawns disappeared into the tall grass each spring.

A sunny opening supported goldenseal, native wildflowers, and countless bees and butterflies.

Elsewhere, a stand of native ostrich ferns reminded us that not everything worth protecting had feathers or fur.

It happened again and again.

It became clear that we weren't here to reshape the landscape - we were here to become part of it.

So, rather than asking how much lavender we could grow, we began asking a different question:

How can we grow exceptional lavender while protecting everything that already belongs here? 

That question continues to guide every decision we make.

Today, our organically managed gardens exist alongside year-round wildlife habitat, native pollinators, and a USDA-recognized pollinator garden - a daily reminder that farming and conservation don't have to compete.

Pause Lavender Farm isn't the largest lavender farm, and that's by design. We believe thoughtful cultivation, healthy soils, and careful attention to every plant create better lavender than simply growing more. For us, success isn't measured by the number of rows in a field, but by the quality of what we grow and the landscape we leave behind.

What We Grow

Our farm specializes in plants selected for northern gardens and products inspired by Michigan's Upper Peninsula, including:

• Organically grown lavender plants
• Pollinator-friendly perennials
• Woodland garden plants
• Culinary lavender
• Fresh and dried lavender bouquets
• Handcrafted lavender products
• Seasonal cottage food specialties

Everything we grow is produced using organic practices without synthetic pesticides. Healthy soil, biodiversity, pollinator conservation, and responsible stewardship are at the center of every decision we make.

Why Customers Choose Pause Lavender Farm

• Certified Michigan small-scale nursery
• Organically grown
• No synthetic pesticides
• USDA-recognized pollinator garden
• Year-round wildlife habitat
• Northern climate lavender expertise
• Free local delivery
• Nationwide shipping
  

Whether you're planting a pollinator garden, looking for cold-hardy lavender, searching for culinary lavender, or simply hoping to bring a little more beauty and calm into your life, we're honored to share a small part of our farm with you.

Thank you for visiting Pause Lavender Farm.

Graduates of the Floret six-week intensive Flower Farming Workshop.