Spring!

Spring!

11 days ago
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Written by Holly McCabe
So here we are, only 2 days from Spring!  The winter flew by, and was pretty good to us for a cha...
Let's Get Caught Up!

Let's Get Caught Up!

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Written by Holly McCabe
Hi Lavender Lovers!    I apologize for being so unreliable about posting on this blog.  It seems ...
Thank You For Your Support

Thank You For Your Support

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Written by Holly McCabe
Hi friends! We want to let you all know how very, very thankful we are to have such amazing custo...
Spring is Here!

Spring is Here!

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Written by Holly McCabe
Finally!  Spring is here.  For some reason, this past Winter seemed like it would never end.  Not...
Summer 2020:  Making Lemonade

Summer 2020: Making Lemonade

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Written by Holly McCabe
This summer did not turn out like we were expecting!  Indoor events were canceled, masks were req...
Sleepy Bees Lavender Farm Spring/Summer 2019 Catch Up

Sleepy Bees Lavender Farm Spring/Summer 2019 Catch Up

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Written by Holly McCabe
The majority of our summer was spent weeding and attending craft shows, fairs, and farmers' markets.  We have met a ton of great people and made some really good business connections.  We learned so much this summer.  We are finding our niche and settling in nicely.
Spring Craft Show Time!

Spring Craft Show Time!

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Written by Holly McCabe
What I found out at that first sale, and at every sale since then, is that people are awesome.  They are kind and supportive even if they aren't buying anything.  People love hearing our story and Jerry sure loves telling it!  They are genuinely curious and interested in hearing more.  They want to be able to visit the farm.  I think later this summer when the plants are blooming and we have an open house, we will have more visitors than we even imagined.  
The Bed Shaper and the Mounds

The Bed Shaper and the Mounds

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Written by Holly McCabe
At this point in preparations we were struggling.  The weather had NOT been cooperating.  It rained almost every day for a week at the time we were supposed to be getting the manure and lime spread, so we were already about a week behind.  After going down the first row with the shaper, we ended up with a small pile, but nothing like the 12" mound we were envisioning at all.  The pile was much wider and squared off at the top, and also not packed down at all.  It turned out that the rototiller we used did not dig down far enough to bring up enough loose dirt to completely fill the bed shaper.  The plates are not height adjustable, so we had to work with the 12" that we had. 
Prepping Fields (a nice way to say Spreading Poop)

Prepping Fields (a nice way to say Spreading Poop)

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Written by Holly McCabe
           The first week of May 2018 it was finally time to get our field ready for planting.  A...
Time to Order Some Plants

Time to Order Some Plants

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Written by Holly McCabe
According to the US Lavender Grower's Association, there are over 45 different species of lavender with over 450 varieties.  To decide which would be the best variety for us, we needed to do a lot of research on which types would grow best in our climate, produce the most essential oil (for use in products we'd be making), be good for culinary use, and of course look and smell amazing  both fresh and dried.  That's not too much to ask of one flower, is it?
It's All About the Dirt

It's All About the Dirt

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Written by Holly McCabe
It wasn't just going to be learning how to grow lavender.  The farming alone was brand new to us. We'd have to teach ourselves about soil, planting methods, watering methods and harvesting.  We were going to have to teach ourselves to make products from our lavender, and to develop our own unique recipes.  Once the products were made, we'd have to learn to package and market the products.  We'd need to learn web design so we could start a website to sell the things we made.  We were going to have to learn beekeeping.  There were also many other things that would come up along the way that never even crossed our minds.
Sleepy Bee Lavender Farm- A Little History- Part 1

Sleepy Bee Lavender Farm- A Little History- Part 1

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Written by Holly McCabe

We are Jerry and Holly McCabe, and we want to share our experiences (both the successes and the failures) as we learn the ins and outs of creating a lavender and honey farm.  We are learning as we go. We have literally no experience with farming or raising bees,  so it should prove interesting. 

 

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