FENNER — This summer, the Farmstead 1868 lavender farm in Fenner is inviting the public into its fields for the u-pick lavender season.
Located at 4690 Shephards Rd., the fields will be open daily throughout July, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting. Each $10 u-pick bundle is measured by the distance between the thumb and pointer finger when making the “OK” sign.
Depending on repeat blooms, the farm may also have “pop-up u-pick nights” in August and September, according to Monica Cody, who owns the farm and shares five children with her husband, Bill.
Farmstead 1868 is hosting several other community events throughout the spring and summer.
The farm will present a give-back event on June 16, during which 20 percent of all sales will go to the Alzheimer’s Association.
The Codys will host adult yoga sessions on Thursdays at 7 p.m. from July 13 to Aug. 31. Spaces can be reserved on the farm’s website, farmstead1868.com.
On Open Farm Day, July 29, the farm will have tours, animal interactions, lots of agriculture education opportunities for kids, a drone demonstration, and food sales to benefit BSA Troop 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Cody children’s 4H projects, including a home-built pumpkin catapult, will also be on display.
Cazenovia Public Library is planning a children’s story time at the lavender patch on July 27 at 10:30 a.m., and on Aug. 11, the farm is teaming up with MJ WAGYU, Fleur
Ruseé, and Chef Alicyn Hart for a farm-to-fork dinner experience in the lavender field. Ticket information is forthcoming.
Cody said she has some additional events in the works, including wreath making, children’s yoga, tea blending classes, and History Where You Eat, but the details have not been solidified yet.
Private events and garden tours can also be scheduled for small groups upon request. Photographers are welcome to reserve time slots for photos in the fields with clients as well. Information is available on the website.
The Cody family’s farming heritage extends backs to 1868 when Bill’s great-grandfather Kendall Cody, 18-years-old at the time, started growing hops and raising horses in Fenner. His farm, which also had milk cows, was one of the largest operations in New York State.
When a fungus decimated the New York hops industry, the farm turned its focus to raising cows, laying the foundation for present-day Cody Farms Dairy.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Codys were inspired to add something uniquely their own to the family’s farming legacy.
“When the supply chain was turned upside down, we had to dump a little bit of milk from the dairy,” Cody said. “It wasn’t much, but it didn’t feel right to dump that hard work down the drain. So, the kids and I took gallon Ziplock bags and emptied the tank, saving the milk. We froze some, we drank lots, and we ‘played’ with the rest.”
In addition to using the raw milk to make typical dairy products like cheese, butter, ice cream, and yogurt, the family also experimented with making milk bath, bath bombs, and soap. During that time, Cody also planted a lavender patch in an unused area of the farm.
“It felt like time to put that land back into production. . . so we cleaned it up and planted a test patch of 12 lavender varieties to see what would grow in our climate,” said Cody, who started testing lavenders in 2020. “Lavender is planted in rows six feet apart, which was the recommended COVID social distance. Friends and family would stop over to get their hands dirty, harvest lavender, feel reconnected, and relax, while being socially distanced. Watching their stress melt away, I knew the lavender patch was something I needed to share with others, so the Farmstead 1868 lavender farm was born.”
Cody planted the first field of 500 plants in 2021. In 2022, she added 2,500 plants, and this year she is due to add another 900. In total, the multiple fields cover just about two acres.
Today, Farmstead 1868 is a member of the US Lavender Growers Association.
Last year, Cody converted an old Harvestore silo into a retail space, and this year she plans to expand into the farm’s remodeled Shephard Farmhouse, which will also include a 20-C food processing kitchen where she will process her premium culinary lavender products.
“I’ve been using Nelson Farms’ kitchen to process culinary lavender, which has been amazing, but I’m excited to be able to use our own space when it is approved to do so,” Cody said.
Cody’s culinary lavender was recently granted the designation of New York State Grown & Certified.
The New York State Grown & Certified program is intended to make it easy for consumers to identify local, safely handled, and environmentally responsible agricultural products.
To qualify, producers must meet the following certification criteria: products are grown and produced in New York State; farms participate in a third-party food safety verification program, if applicable; and producers participate in an environmental management program.
“I like that the program helps consumers understand where their products or ingredients are coming from,” said Cody.
Cody also said she has been collaborating with local eateries to develop recipes featuring her lavender. For example, The Pewter Spoon in Cazenovia serves a lavender-sage latte, and Madison Bistro Farm to Table restaurant in Wampsville is working on a lavender lemonade to celebrate Open Farm Day.
Farmstead 1868 accepts orders through its website for shipping or store pickup, and its items are also available at the following Upstate NY retailers: 20|East and The Brewster Inn gift shop in Cazenovia, Nelson Farms Country Store in Nelson, Parry’s in Hamilton, Eugenia’s General Store in Manlius, Artisan Elements in Homer, Cella V Boutique in Baldwinsville, Carol Watson Greenhouse in Lafayette, and Todd Hill Taste NY Store in Poughkeepsie.
For more information on the farm, visit farmstead1868.com.
