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Owner Kindra Olson poses with the 2022 Iowa State Fair Queen Mary Ann Fox.

ALTOONA — Nestled between a commercial district in Altoona to the north and an industrial/commercial area to the south in Pleasant Hill lies a true piece of beauty. Hidden behind a line of trees along a busy road through the suburb sits Lavender Life, a lavender farm that’s the perfect escape with a serene and scentful setting.

Owned by Kindra Olson, Lavender Life came to fruition when Olson and her husband Norm bought the property. In 2019, they established more than 600 lavender plants in their field, including varieties such as Hidcote, Royal Velvet, Twinkle and Grosso.

“We moved here seven years ago in April and that spring, I planted 12 lavender plants. As you look out from the back of my house from the four seasons porch, there’s a field and it’d been planted in corn. I thought, what can I look at from this porch all the time? So I planted the dozen lavender plants and did a little research where I found that the U.S. Lavender Association, a huge group, meets every three years and so we joined and flew out to North Carolina. In five days, we took all sorts of classes and met growers,” Olson said. “I decided then that I could do this.”

She sent a soil sample to Iowa State and discovered that she had the perfect soil type on a gradual hill in full sun, perfect for growing lavender. They recruited people to help plant the 600-plus lavender plants and they grew like crazy, she said. They offer pre-pick and “u pick” options for customers during the growing season.

“We bloom twice in Iowa. The field is all purple and beautiful. We hand cut and rubber band the lavender bunches in the field and hang them to dry in the big barn. The rest of the plants I leave for the public to pick,” Olson said. “I provide the baskets and scissors and let them cut it themselves, then we wrap it up for them.”

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In 2019, Kindra Olson and her husband Norm established more than 600 lavender plants in their field, including varieties such as Hidcote, Royal Velvet, Twinkle and Grosso. They now offer pre-pick and “u pick” options for customers during the growing season.

After her first year of growing lavender plants, Olson decided to dabble in making her own products. She extracts the essential oils from the plants and uses them for a chemical-free, handmade and lavender-infused line that includes lotion, a moisturizing balm, soy candles, soaps and sprays.

“I then retired from my job and started out focusing on farmers markets, but then COVID hit and we ended up renovating the barn on our property, built a porch on the front and opened in October,” Olson said. “The hardest thing is making my own soap with lye. I have five different kinds of bar soaps, moved into candles and now we’re into merch like T-shirts and hats.”

Last year, Olson added bees to the lavender farm and harvested 200 pounds of honey, which she bottled in 170 jars.

“The bees love the lavender. When it comes up, we pick it in the bud form. When you let it go, the bud turns into a flower in the fall, so if we have a really good spring harvest, I’ll let it flower out for the bees. We also have zinnias, sunflowers, perennial gardens and other flowers,” Olson said. “We also have two Percherons we rescued from an Amish farm where they did nothing but work in the fields and pull plows. They were on their last leg, so we went down and rescued them. They weren’t socialized at first, but they love people now.”

Lavender Life typically opens in mid-April and remains open until Christmas Eve. She kicks off Black Friday by making wreaths with dried lavender.

-Submitted photo
Kindra Olson extracts the essential oils from the plants and uses them for a chemical-free, handmade and lavender-infused line that includes lotion, a moisturizing balm, soy candles, soaps and sprays.

Her barn is outfitted with a heater, and she’ll make adorable items that are perfect for gifts or stocking stuffers.

Olson pauses long enough during the growing season to staff a booth at the Iowa State Fair where people can purchase her products and enjoy the fragrant scent of her lavender. People marvel at the products and the fact that there’s a lavender farm just a stone’s throw from Des Moines.

She said there is another lavender farm near Ames and also out west in the Loess Hills.

“This has turned into something bigger than I ever imagined. I’m really shocked at the people who visit us and where they’re from and how far they’ll come to visit us,” Olson said. “We also host special events like birthday parties, garden clubs, homeschool families and bachelorette parties. “There’s a park-like area right in front of the barn with a picnic table and Adirondack chairs.”

Their farm consists of 46 acres and the back section has been planted in soybeans. The farmer who tends to their acres leaves a path for them to drive their UTV on.

She hopes next fall to hook up the Percherons to a wagon and offer rides to visitors.