CENTRAL — As the bright-yellow swallowtail butterflies land on the swaying petals, the air is filled with the aroma of sweet lavender and the world buzzes as swarms of honey bees enjoy the nectar. The location? Baker Creek Lavender Farm.

Owners Scott Sproul and Mary Matera told St. George News the story behind the farm, the hard work and grit that went into the creation and the sweet fruits of their labors that came as a result. Open and free to the public, they encourage everyone to visit before the lavender season ends.

Situated in an unlikely location surrounded by miles of sagebrush, the 25-acre ranch that Baker Creek Lavender Farm is located on was originally owned by Sproul’s grandfather. Sproul said his grandfather grew alfalfa at the time, while his father ran cattle on the property. With his family as one-fifth owners of the entire ranch, he decided to pick 6 acres of the property just for himself.

Seven years ago, Matera said the entire area was nothing but wild sagebrush. As they researched what type of business they could turn the land into, Sproul said they looked at vineyards, hop farms and more. While on their travels, the couple found themselves drawn to lavender farms and decided to find out what it would take to run one of their own.

“We found out lavender was the perfect fit for us,” Sproul said. “Every checkmark we could think of was checked off – it was drought intolerant, insects don’t like it, most animals don’t like it. We’ve got a whole army of lizards that take care of the insects and we just couldn’t say no.”

Both he and his wife both lived in Las Vegas full-time and Sproul said they would drive out to the farm every weekend in order to build it by hand. Their children and grandchildren all pitched in to make their lavender dreams a reality. But it wasn’t easy.

“We had spider mites attack the babies due to stress of the plants,” Matera said. “We had gophers in the field. We had ground wasps come in. It seemed to be one thing after another but we soldiered on.”

When Sproul unexpectedly was laid off from his job due to the pandemic, he decided to go all-in on the farm. With the farm’s first season smack-dab in the middle of the pandemic, he said it was a rough start.

“We’re so grateful for all the people in the community here in St. George, Cedar City, Enterprise, Central and even Las Vegas that are all coming in to support us. It means everything,” Sproul said.

Starting with a test field of 700 plants, Matera said they became their babies to cultivate and care for while also providing necessary elements for the local bees and butterflies to thrive. They were told by other farmers they would have enough lavender to use after the plants were a year old, but Matera said they grew beyond their expectations. After the first field came the second, third and fourth fields, now totaling 2,200 plants.

“We were putting all this work into it, and there were times we were tired,” Sproul said, “I remember when a little rainstorm came through and the smell of lavender filled the air. That’s when I knew it was worth it.”

Sproul said the lavender only blooms for about two months, with the end of the open farm season on July 24. The plants hibernate in the winter and are woken up by a trim in the early spring, which puts them back into growth mode. Each year, the plants get bigger and bigger, and with the proper care, each plant can produce for 10 to 15 years.

The farm grows 16 different cultivars (different varieties of lavender) that all bloom differently, allowing for the couple to keep up with the harvesting schedule. When the plants are ready, he requests volunteers on social media to help harvest and has been thankful for those who have come to assist. The farm also grows other plants such as lemon and orange thyme, English lavender, sage and more.

“Every cultivar has its own scent,” Sproul said. “I’ve always been puzzled why the lavender industry settled on one smell to define it. I refuse to do that. So I distill them all separately.”

Baker Creek Lavender Farm has its own full line of lavender products handmade by the couple, which can be found in a large tent on the farm property or by visiting their website. They offer dried lavender bundles, crafting buds, bath and body products, savs that assist with sleep, tension soothers, smudges, hydrosols, clary sage, linen sprays and even lavender lemonade.

Culinary lavender is available as well as tea blends. The lavender oil is created through steam distillation with both a 40-liter and 200-liter distiller on the property. The tent shop also features seashells they have collected near their beach house in Baja, Mexico, along with sulfur from a local Mexico mine and fossils from a nearby fossil bed. 

“Making products is a lot of work, but we love when we receive wonderful reviews on our website of how much our customers love what we make,” Matera said.

Both Sproul and Matera learned how to make unique lavender products by taking advantage of farms that offer instructional classes, including an organic farm in Palisade, Colorado, that sits at the same elevation as their farm – 5,000 feet. By learning from a farm with the same elevation, they also were able to discover which cultivars grow successfully in the climate.

“It is definitely hard work to have the farm fully up and running but when people come to visit and tell us it is just ‘magical’ or a ‘little slice of heaven,’ it is all worth it,” Matera said. “We hope that Scott and I can give many people enjoyment for years to come when they visit our lavender farm. Just seeing how relaxed they look when they leave fills our hearts with happiness.”

For more information on Baker Creek Lavender Farm, visit their website or follow them on Instagram and Facebook. The farm is located at 100 N. Baker Rd in Central, Utah, and will close for the season on July 24.

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