Lockwood Farm to appear on WSYR channel 9 Bridge Street

Last Saturday I sat down with one of the hosts of WSYR channel 9 Bridge Street Show, Tanja Babich.  She came to the farm to learn how to make lavender wands.   With the Finger Lakes Lavender Festival just around the corner, the TV show will be highlighting our farm, the festival and our specialty crop of lavender.  While I don't remember what I said during the interview we hope that the feature will show the love we have for our life on the farm.  The show will broadcast on Friday at 10:00.

Home Garden Club from Syracuse spent a very hot day on the farm learn how to grow, prune and harvest lavender. 

                           

                           

Lockwood Farm is featured in the July/August issue of CNY Magazine.

Last year we were approached by CNY Magazine reporter, Linda Bien about our story behind our lavender business. Linda and photographer, Michelle Gabel spent time us on the farm on a beautiful afternoon last year discussing why and how we grow lavender.  The article has given us time to reflect on how far we have come.  When I met and married my husband, Gary I didn't know where I belonged on the farm.  I didn't grow up on a farm but certainly loved gardening and animals.  I have to admit I was a little intimidated.  I didn't know if you could teach this old dog new tricks.  Since then I have learned how to drive a tractor, bale and unload hay, become a sheep herder, bottle feed and cared for baby lambs, become a drywall mason, studied dirt (closely), mastered driving a skidsteer, become educated on erosion and become a member of a giving community, just to name a few.  Although my life has taken a big change from wanting to being a Radio City Rockette when I was a child.  I have grown so much that I certainly wouldn't change a thing.  I love my life and isn't that what it's all about.
Growing lavender has given me a sense of belonging on the farm.  It started with a wedding bouquet but has developed into something more.  Sharing and educating people on the life of a farmer.  It's hard, but oh so rewarding!

We hope to see you at our Finger Lakes Lavender Festival, July 10th & July 11th.

Check out our other website for more information.  http://www.fingerlakeslavenderfestival.blogspot.com/

We are living the dream!

We had the pleasure to have Skaneateles Press reporter, Miranda Pennock spend time on the farm.  She wrote a wonderful article about our love of lavender.

Karen Lockwood has a calm demeanor. She’s kind-hearted and welcomes visitors into her world with open arms.

Being wrapped in the sweet scents of lavender on a daily basis probably makes it difficult to not be as calm as Lockwood is — and she wants others to have the opportunity to regularly retreat to a tranquil environment like hers.
Since May, Lockwood has been selling Royal Velvet, a variety of lavender, to benefit the Skaneateles Historical Society. Each plant is $5 and can be purchased at the farm, 1682 W. Lake Road in Skaneateles. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
The idea for the benefit came after Lockwood completed extensive research on the family farm — 120-acres that overlook Skaneateles Lake and make anyone aware of their surrounding forget about the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Lockwood said she approached Joan Thomsen with the historical society a few years ago looking for help.
“I went to the historical society to do research on the farm,” Lockwood said.
Through her research at the Skaneateles Historical Society and contacting Onondaga County, Lockwood found out her husband, Gary, was the fifth generation of his family at Lockwood Farm.
The history behind it is very interesting,” Lockwood said, adding that knowing the history of the 120-acre farm is the interesting part.
In order to thank the historical society for its help, she decided a lavender sale would be a great benefit for them and chose Royal Velvet, which, when it blossoms, is a deep purple color. It is just one of more than 16 varieties grown on the farm.
Lockwood and her husband travel the country to do research on lavender and along the way are able to talk to others about what works and what doesn’t. More importantly, they’ve discovered what varieties like the weather here in Central New York.
The chance she took with growing lavender in the Finger Lakes began in 2001.
“I wanted it in my wedding bouquet,” Lockwood said. “It was just nice to have something from the farm. ... I think I was looking for a project I could do on the farm.”
By her side in the endeavor was Gary, who has vast amounts of agricultural knowledge between his education from Cornell University and working the farm for so many years.
“He’s just such a great support,” Lockwood said. “This is our entertainment.”
Then, in 2005 she ordered two varieties to really get started, Lockwood said.
“Is this type of lavender going to grow here?” was the biggest question, and with more than a dozen varieties now growing, it looks like the Lockwoods got their answer.
In the beginning, she and Gary planted four test sites on the property to find the best spot to grow and eventually went with planting out front on the property close to the road.
According to Lockwood, she wanted to plant by the road because it would look great as people drove past. From there, the rest is truly history in the making.
“We just decided to keep going. It was just too cool,” she said.
But growing lavender is no easy task. Because the plant is not native to the region the upkeep and care requires a great deal of attention.
“It is a lot of work. It’s backbreaking,” Lockwood said.
Despite the intense physical labor, Lockwood is devoting her time to making the business grow — she’s added more products to her lavender line, opened a store at the farm that doubles as a drying barn and hopes to some day run her own distillery to extract the oil from lavender for her products.
Visitors welcome!
While the farm once was open only during “you pick” days, Lockwood now regularly welcomes visitors to come see what her project has turned into.
At the market, she offers a variety of products including lavender soaps, new “Skeeter Cheater” bug spray and “Ahhh!” bug bite soother, foot soaks, scrubs and, for the angry driver, road rage key chains — a small satchel filled with lavender that you can squeeze to release the calming scent when stuck in traffic or even just having a bad day.
For more products, log onto lockwoodfarm.blogspot.com.
Visitors are also welcome to join Lockwood for her lavender festival on July 10 and 11.
In its third year, the annual Finger Lakes Lavender Festival at Lockwood Farm is sure to be a people pleaser. Last year the Lockwoods welcomed more than 400 people to the farm for the festival.
“We just love having people out here,” Lockwood said.
Lockwood Farm

WHERE: 1682 W. Lake Road, Skaneateles

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

EVENTS: Royal Velvet lavender plant sale to benefit the Skaneateles Historical Society. Each plant is $5.

UPCOMING: July 10 and 11: 3rd Annual Finger Lake Lavender Festival at Lockwood Farm

Lockwood Farm grows several varieties of lavender. They are:

Buena Vista

Munstead

Folgate

Hidcote

Jean Davis

Royal Velvet

Dark Supreme

Rebecca Kaye

Two Amys

True Grosso

True Hidcote

Gros Bleu

Hidcote Giant

Edelweiss

Impress Purple

Alba (Blue Mountain White)

Provence

Purple Bouquet

Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship

Please join us at Lockwood Farm for this wonderful women's networking event called "Living the Dream" through WISE (Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) on Wednesday, June 30th at 5:30 - 7:30. Chef, Julie Ann Sageer (Julie Taboulie on WSYR9 Bridge St.) will be presenting "Light Lebanese Cuisine" to the attendees to enjoy as... they see and hear stories about Karen's wonderful Lavender Farm! $15.00 per person.

RSVP Alicia MIllington 315-443-8634 of ACMillin@syr.edu