Slightly more about Gemma, Owner & Operator of Bayfield Lavender Farm

As I wrote a little bio for a photo event I’ll be co-hosting soon, I realized I’ve never done a full introduction of myself on this platform. Confession: I enjoy talking about myself about as much as I enjoy seeing photos of myself… which is not at all…. So, I tend to use the socials to show you other stuff. But here’s my story in a little purple nutshell.

Born in Vancouver, raised in Calgary, I have lived and worked all over Canada (Montreal, PEI, Toronto, Ottawa) and my path toward farming was shaped by a career in the arts, and was a creative turn that I didn’t see coming (at all). Having zero farm experience and the naive confidence only a dreamer can possess, a lot of trial and error has lead to many stumbles and, thankfully, some seemingly sustainable successes.

I moved to Huron County in 2017 with my growing family and began building Bayfield Lavender Farm the following year when I propagated some (very) old lavender plants that were growing on the property. I joined the Ontario Lavender Association that year - access to their encouraging community and professional expertise was invaluable in helping me shift from curious hobbyist, to full fledged Farmerette!

I’ve been selling my lavender wares locally for quite a while and this Summer (2023), the farm opened to visitors for the first time. I’m so thrilled that people actually showed up, and the next season is already in the works: stay tuned for workshops and events by following along on here or on the socials.