From scented lotions, soaps, linen sprays and other home and body care items to pain-relieving CBD salves and culinary tinctures, you can get made-in-Michigan lavender products straight from the source at Lavender Lane in Milan.
“It’s all integrated. We extract the oil, formulate all products and make them in-house. We source ingredients in the U.S. and try our best to support other small businesses,” said owner Joe Pusta.
The farm hosts an annual lavender harvest festival and has a farm store on site that is open for the season in July. The farm also has a shop in downtown Milan called Lavender Lane on Main, so you can get lavender in all forms no matter the time of year.
For Pusta, it’s all labor of love that combines his interest in business with nature and the science side of things.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of something bigger and do something outside in nature,” he said, and a lavender farm was the direction he and his wife, Courtney, a special education teacher, decided to take things.
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“We got started in 2016 with 500 lavender plants,” said Pusta. Today, they’re up to 10,000 on the land they also call home.
“You can go into the fields and feel relaxed, and we also bring together communities and people through our annual lavender festival,” said Pusta. “At this event, we welcome 50 other vendors that are small and come from local connections,” he said.
“Lavender appeals to many people, and for me, I’ve really enjoyed learning the science of distillation and figuring out formulas for cosmetic purposes and other aspects of the business as we have developed products customers have asked for. It’s a good fit for my personality,” he said.
What started as a small venture at local farmers markets and events, today Lavender Lane ships products to all 50 states. Social media has been key to building the business, and Lavender Lane has more than 23,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram.
Can’t make it to an event or into the store? You can also order online at lavenderlanemi.com.
Lavender Lane Farm: 12040 Plank Rd, Milan. 734-239-2213.
Lavender Lane on Main: 12 E Main St, Milan. 734-239-2213.
