By Cindy Gladden, Record Staff Writer
Purple blossoms dot the hillside in front of a new white gambrel-style barn along Stracks Church Road near Wright City. Living out a dream, Tracy Smith has recently opened Long Row Lavender Farm.The Smiths moved to the area 12 years ago from southern California where her husband, Chad, received his medical training while serving with the Navy. Seeking a place in the country near Tracy’s parents in O’Fallon, the couple and their four children settled in Warren County.Smith said she was inspired when she read an article in Midwest Living magazine that featured a lavender farm.“I was smitten,” she said.Lavender is known for its fragrant bloom and relaxing properties. It has been used for centuries for its soothing and healing properties.The purple-colored perennial flower is actually an herb, native to the Mediterranean. Known for its wonderful, relaxing aroma, lavender is found in lotions, teas, soaps and many other products. It can be used for baking and is said to have antibacterial and antiseptic properties.After much research and visits to other lavender farms, Smith decided to take the plunge in 2009 when she invested in 20 lavender plants.“By 2010, we had 250 plants in the ground,” she added. “That was the year of the drought. We had to learn to roll with the punches, the weather and loss of plants.”Smith said until the plant is well established, growing it is a bit tricky. She learned by trial and error and basic tenacity. Blooms from nearly 700 plants of seven varieties grace the roadside near the barn from June through September.The family tackled a lot of challenges when trying to make the farm something they could share with the community. They began selling their products at local farmers markets and looking for a special way to brand their business.During one of their long, hot days at the farmers market, the family was trying to sell tomatoes to a low turnout crowd. The children had helped pick the tomatoes from a 190-foot garden row.When talking to a customer and getting desperate to rid themselves of the tomatoes, her son quipped that the crop came from “one very long row.”When searching for a name for the lavender business, the story of “Long Row” was remembered fondly and stuck.Smith said it was a big step to settle on a name. They traded lavender for a custom logo from an up-and-coming graphic design business. A photograph taken by their daughter became the background for their label.“We had our lavender, our name and our picture,” she said. “Then the business grew.”The next step was to offer a “consumable” product. Smith developed a lavender body butter, which quickly began to sell out as soon as customers could try a sample.Top homemade products offered at Long Row Lavender include linen spray, wreaths, herbal bug spray, lip balm and a sugar scrub. Smith has carefully selected other local people to feature her lavender in additional products.The Burning Magnolia provides locally made candles; soap is provided by Goats Milk Goodies; and tea is made by Blooming with Joy Teas. T-shirts with faith messages are available from Happy Camper Clothing Company.“We talked about building the barn forever,” said Smith. “We wanted something that would be beautiful for the community. We started the barn in September of 2015 and opened May 27 with a lot of help from friends and family.”The two-story barn houses a gift shop, kitchen, two large classrooms and a drying area for the lavender.Smith has lots of plans for the future of Long Row Lavender. She hopes to offer a small festival this fall and plans a holiday open house Saturday, Nov. 12. Classes in lavender wreath-making will be held several times a year.The farm is only open on part of the weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will close for the season on Dec. 10.“We’re open weekends only because I’m a mom first,” she said. “I’m still home-schooling, I want to make sure my husband is appreciated and loved and that this is an extension of what God gave us.”The Smiths said they strive to be a strong, close family, dedicated to working hard and serving others. A large canvas hanging in the store beautifully states the family’s creed taken from 1 Thessalonians 4:11 — “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.”Smith hopes the store will become a place where friends will gather for some relaxing conversation and refreshments.“We want to be a blessing to the community,” said Smith. “We want God to be honored in what we do. We want to be a good steward of what He has given us.”Growing a business has taught Smith many lessons. She has learned to be content when things aren’t perfect.“Balancing life is not always the goal,” she said. “Sometimes it’s just doing the next thing that needs to be done.”Although the scent of lavender pervades the household, the strongest and most important essence for the Smiths is faith and family.Long Row Lavender is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Beginning Sept. 10, the farm will be open only on Saturdays until the end of the season.For more information visit www.longrowlavender.com; facebook.com/longrowlavender; or email info@longrowlavender.com.Tracy Smith recently opened Long Row Lavender near Wright City. The farm features many products made from lavender, including soaps, linen sprays, teas and wreathes. The gift shop is open every Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cindy Gladden photo.
Tracy Smith
